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  PART I Hot Winter Nites (AVP 2008 events)

  PART II (1st 10 AVP 2008 events)

  PART III (2nd half 8 AVP 2008 events)

  PART IV (last 4 AVP 2008 events)

 

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AVP TOUR Y2K8-YEAR 2008

SCHEDULE

2008 Schedule Announcement

Current schedule for the AVP Tour in the year 2008
*All Confirmed Dates

Date                                                            Event                                                                          Site                                            TV

*April 11th-13th 2008 AVP QUERVO GOLD CROWN MIAMI OPEN  1001 Ocean Drive    Miami Beach, FLA.                  * Cable,FSNet

*April 18th-20th 2008 AVP QUERVO GOLD CROWN DALLAS OPEN   Rangers Ballpark  Ameriquest Field  Arlington,TX * Cable,FSNet

*May 2nd-4th  2008 AVP QUERVO GOLD CROWN HUNTINGTON OPEN South Side Pier Huntington Beach, CA           * Cable,FSNet

*May 8th-10th 2008 AVP CHARLESTON OPEN Daniel Islnd Family Circle Tennis Center     Charleston,SC                           * Cable,FSNet

*May 24th-26th  2008 AVP LOUISVILLE OPEN  Festival Plaza at Waterfront Park                Louisville,KY                            * Cable,FSNet

*May 30th-June1st     2008 AVP ATLANTA OPEN    Atlantic Station                                    Atlanta,GA                                 * Cable,FSNet

*June 6th-8th  2008  AVP HERMOSA BEACH  OPEN         Strand                                     Hermosa Beach, CA                    *Cable,FSNet

*June 20th-22nd  2008  AVP BELMAR OPEN                  4th Avenue at Ocean                    Belmar,NJ                                   * Cable,FSNet

*July 4th-6th  2008  AVP BOULDER OPEN                         Folsom Field                             Boulder,CO                                * Cable,FSNet

*July 10th-13th 2008  AVP CHICAGO OPEN                  North Avenue Beach                    Chicago,IL                                  * Cable,FSNet

*July 18th-20th 2008 AVP BROOKLYN OPEN                   Coney Island Beach                 Brooklyn ,NY                               * Cable,FSNet

*July 25th-27th  2008 AVP LONG BEACH OPEN                   East Shoreline Drive             Long Beach, CA.                          **LIVE on NBC

*Aug-1st-3rd 2008 AVP SAN DIEGO OPEN                         Mariner's Point                        San Diego,CA                             * Cable,FSNet

*Aug 9th-21st  2008 OLYMPIC GAMES                                                                                Beijing ,China                              **LIVE on NBC

*Aug 29th-31st  2008 AVP CROCS CUP CINCINNATI     Lindner Family Tennis Center     Cincinnati , OH                            ** NBC,Live

*Sept 6th-7th  2008 AVP SANTA BARBARA OPEN           215 W Cabrillo Blvd                 Santa Barbara,CA                       * Cable,FSNet

*Sept 12th-14th 2008 AVP SAN FRANCISCO OPEN            Pier 30 / 32                           SanFrancisco,CA                         * Cable,FSNet

*Sept 19th-21st 2008 AVP MANHATTAN BEACH OPEN    Manhattan Bch Pier                 Manhattan Bch ,CA                    **LIVE on NBC

*Sept 26th-28th  2008 AVP GLENDALE  OPEN                   6520 N. 91st Avenue               Glendale,AZ                                *Cable,FSNet

The AVP Is Back on NBC 

Five Live/Tape Broadcasts During the 2008 Season Marks the Return Of Beach
Volleyball to Network Television for the fourth year in a row

FOX SPORTS NET      

EVENT BROADCAST DATE / TIME

 *Check you local listings for Broadcast times yet to be announced actual event dates below only not necessarily brodcast dates

AVP on TV
  2008


To catch all the Men's and Women's 2008 AVP Crocs Tour action make sure to visit Fox Sports Net and check your local listings for viewing times.

New to the AVP last year was OLN televising the Men's and Women's semifinal matches. OLN has gone back to televising Hockey & Soccer in 2008 no more Volleyball.

    AVP Womens News - TV Update
* OLD 2002 information below,stay tuned as to what AVP women's events will be
   scheduled for broadcast on this network in  2005.

NEW YORK (Variety) - Geraldine Laybourne's Oxygen Media will cablecast five of the seven women's Assn. of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) tournaments this summer. The deal is consistent with Oxygen's recently announced strategy of focusing only on high-visibility women's sports. Six weeks ago, Oxygen laid off 20 people in its sports division, reducing the number of events from 31 per year to about 12. Lydia Stephans, president and executive producer of Oxygen Sports, called the AVP tournaments "the premier women's beach volleyball competition in the world." In addition to the five Oxygen cablecasts, the AVP will get three live broadcasts on NBC.
Oxygen's five cablecasts will run on consecutive Sunday afternoons at 2, beginning June 9.

EVENT BROADCAST DATE / TIME

*Check you local listings for Broadcast times yet to be announced actual event dates below only not necessarily brodcast dates

Oxygen will no longer be carrying Volleyball in 2007-2008.

AVP Hour on the radio

Courtesy of Hugo Rec.Sport.Volleyball
 
 In yesterday's LA Times (May 17, 2002), a column
 written by Larry Stewart, he mentiones that:
 
 "Karch Kiraly and Sinjin Smith will co-host a new
 weekly show, "The AVP Hour," on KMPC (1540 AM) Thursdays,
 7-8 p.m., beginning next week (May 23, 2002)."
 
 However, I listened to KMPC earlier today (Sat. May 18)
 and I heard a commercial for it and "Geeter" (Chris McGee)
 said that he and Sinjin will be hosting this new
 weekly show. He also said that if you don't listen
 you'll get sand kicked in your face! ;-) Anyway,
 whoever is hosting, it's good to know that the
 vball community is getting high profile ambassadors
 of the game to get the word out about beach
 volleyball on the radio!
 Yay volleyball! I hope that we can continue this
 well into the future. :-)
 
 Hugo
 
 Hey Hugo,Thanks for the info.Any coverage of the AVP by its Players
 is welcome news.By the way Ian Clark has had his own radio show of
 sorts on Live365 for over 2 years now.Take a listen to DJ
 Slimknicky1 at the following link:
 
 Listen!!! to "I-RADIO AVP" IMAN'S Broadcasting in Stereo!!!24/7
 
 Featuring "DJ- KNICKY" playing all the hits for AVP fans!!!

 Coming SOON,Player I-Views & Past Years &Current AVP Event coverage in  Real Audio!
 
  http://www.live365.com/stations/slimnicky1
  I-RADIO AVP

"Karch Kiraly and Sinjin Smith will co-host a new
 weekly show, "The AVP Hour," on KMPC (1540 AM) Thursdays,
 7-8 p.m., beginning next week (May 23, 2002)."

You can listen to it live on the internet on your computer here,follow this link:

KMPC
Sporting News Radio
Los Angeles
1540
Los Angeles, CA.

Click Here

 The AVP Hour

**HAVE NOT HEARD YET IF THERE ARE TO BE RADIO BROADCASTS IN 2008 STAY TUNED but for now listen to archives above.........

Dig Magazine

Click Here

First Issue: April 2003   (40-pages, around 80 volleyball photos)

Articles:
This month on tour - Ft. Lauderdale, Tempe

Locals only - where AVP players eat, drink and kick it in Fort Lauderdale and Tempe

The scene - Huntington Beach

Ten ways not to break into the AVP tour

Beach Vocabulary 101

Hot tunes

AVP 2003,  Photo Profiles
Misty May - Kerri Walsh
Holly McPeak - Elaine Youngs
Jenny Johnson Jordan - Annett Davis
Carrie Busch - Leanne McSorley
Lisa Arce - Rachel Wacholder
Women's Contenders

Eric Fonoimoana - Dax Holdren
Stein Metzger - Kevin Wong
Mike Whitmarsh - Canyon Ceman
Karch Kiraly - Brent Doble
Albert Hannemann - Sean Scott
Men's Contenders

Hot Gear - Spring Wraps

Fashion Flashback

Legend Connection  Ron Von Hagen - Karch Kiraly

The Clinic - Beach Facts & Myths on Hitting Big

Beach Smack with Brian Lewis

DIG
The next best thing to being at an AVP event!!
Official Magazine of the AVP Tour
Volleyball • Lifestyle • Competition
6 issues for just $18
Call toll free to subscribe:
# 1- 800-999-9718
Get a DIG t-shirt or Hat for just $6 when you subscribe for six issues.
DIG is published six times April through October around AVP events.

Articles 2007-2008 Off Season

AVP 2008 VOLLEYBALL VIDEO:

Volleyball Vacations coming to Grand Cayman

April 11th-April 13th 2008 $200,000 AVP Quervo Gold Crown

Miami OPEN  South Beach 1001 Ocean Drive Miami,Fla.

Bicentennial Park is located on beautiful Biscayne Bay, seven blocks north of Bayfront Park. Bicentennial Park is a 30-acre, open park with an event capacity of 45,000 (based on event infrastructure). Given the wide-open space, there are several different event set-ups that take place: everything from a singular stage to multiple stages to a carnival atmosphere. Some examples of event set-ups, that have taken place at Bicentennial Park, are the Lollapalooza music festival and the grand chapiteau of Cirque Du Soleil.

  AVP Tour Event Coverage

Event Facts
Event Start Date:Friday, April 11th, 2008
Prize Money:$200,000
Payout Breakdown:Mens and Womens
1) $20,000.00 2) $14,000.00 3) $8,450.00 3) $8,450.00 5) $5,000.00 5)$5,000.00
7) $3,500.00 7) $3,500.00 9) $2,200.00 9) $2,200.00 9) $2,200.00 9) $2,200.00
13) $1,400.00 13) $1,400.00 13) $1.400.00 13) $1,400.00 17) $550.00 17) $550.00
17) $550.00 17) $550.00 17) $550.00 17) $550.00 17) $550.00 17) $550.00
25) $100.00 25) $100.00 25) $100.00 25) $100.00 25) $100.00 25) $100.00
25) $100.00 25) $100.00

Starting Time:8:00 am Friday ;8:00 am Saturday; 9:00 am Sunday
4/13-15 AVP Miami Open - The first stop on the 2007 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour.
Fri. 8am. Sat. 8am Sun. 9:00am Championship Match Sun.Approx. 4pm.

Hotel Info:

BISCAYNE BAY MARRIOTT HOTEL (approx. 2 miles)
1633 N BAYSHORE DR
MIAMI, FL 33132
(305) 374-3900
www.marriott.com

COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT (less than one mile)
200 SE 2 AVE
MIAMI, FL 33131
(305) 374-3000
www.miamicourtyard.com

DOUBLETREE GRAND HOTEL (approx. 2 miles)
1717 N BAYSHORE DR
MIAMI, FL 33132
(305) 372-0313
www.doubletree.com

FOUR AMBASSADORS SUITES HOTEL (approx. 2 miles)
801 BRICKELL BAY DR
MIAMI, FL 33131
(305) 371-6500
www.fourambassadors.cc

HOLIDAY INN PORT OF MIAMI-DOWNTOWN (walking distance)
340 BISCAYNE BLVD.
MIAMI, FL 33132
(305) 371-4400
www.hiportofmiami.com

HOTEL INTER-CONTINENTAL MIAMI (walking distance)
100 CHOPIN PLAZA
MIAMI, FL 33131
(305) 577-1000
www.interconti.com

HYATT REGENCY MIAMI (less than one mile)
400 SE 2 AVE
MIAMI, FL 33131
(305) 358-1234
www.hyatt.com

MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL (approx. 2 miles)
500 BRICKELL KEY DR
MIAMI, FL 33131
(305) 913-8288
www.mandarinoriental.com

RADISSON HOTEL MIAMI (less than 2 miles)
1601 BISCAYNE BLVD
MIAMI, FL 33132
(305) 374-0000
www.radisson-miami.com

                                                                                                          RIANDE CONTINENTAL BAYSIDE (walking distance)
                                                                                                                                     146 BISCAYNE BLVD
                                                                                                                                        MIAMI, FL 33132
                                                                                                                                       (305) 358-4555
                                                                                                                         www.riandecontinentalbayside.com

                                                                                                           RIVER PARK HOTEL & SUITES (less than one mile)
                                                                                                                                         100 SE 4 ST
                                                                                                                                        MIAMI, FL 33131
                                                                                                                                       (305) 374-5100                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                             www.riverparkhotelandsuites.com

2008 AVP QUERVO GOLD CROWN SERIES
  MIAMI  OPEN

Schedule of Events

Register for 2008 AVP QUERVO GOLD SERIES
*Registration requires a credit card and the fee is $50.

EVENT REGISTRATION PROCEDURE AND DEADLINES: All players ranked in the Top 16 prior to an event will need to register by noon the Monday of the week preceding the Event (i.e., approximately 1-1/2 weeks before the start of the event). All other players will have until noon Monday the week of an event to register. The only valid method of entry for AVP events is online. ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED WITH PAYMENT (VISA/MC/AMEX/DISCOVER) along with an accurate address, phone number, email address, and playing partner's name. Phone and facsimile entries will not be accepted

The AVP Miami Open will take place April 11 - 13 at South Beach 1001 Ocean Drive in Miami. More details to follow.

Click Here To Purchase Tickets
To the AVP Miami Open
April 11 & 13, 2008
April 10th is the qualifier - Admission is free

Click here to buy tickets for Louisville and Cincinnati

Download Registration Form to Sign Up!
•  Miami Volunteer Form
   [Microsoft Word Document]

Youth Clinics:

Download Registration Form to Sign Up!
•  Miami Youth Clinic Form
   [Microsoft Word Document]

Event Information:

Main Draw
•  24 Teams, 8 Courts
•  18 automatic entries, 2 wildcards

Qualifier
•  40 Men's and Women's teams
•  4 teams advance via Qualifier

Finals
•  MEN: 2:30 p.m. on Sunday 4/15
•  WOMEN: 4:00 p.m. on Sunday 4/15

* Event Registration Coming Soon!

Tickets For All Events
AVP BEACH CLUB

Join the most unforgettable beach party and sit courtside as the nation's hottest pro beach superstars battle for number one!
An entire weekend packed with hot volleyball action, food and fun--all for only $100
 
Member Benefits
Become an exclusive member of the AVP Beach Club and receive:
-best seats on the beach, Saturday and Sunday
-superb hospitality in the AVP Beach Club
-food and beverage
-limited edition commemorative t-shirt
-laminated credential for exclusive access
-rights to purchase valet parking
-priority for renewal
-and much, much, more!!!
Membership is only $100
Space is limited so Sign Up Online Now or Call AVP Beach Club Hotline (310) 426-7171
 
Event Dates
2008 AVP Tour Schedule
Date Event Prize Site Tickets Info
2008 AVP Schedule
April 11 - 13--Miami, FL
April 18 - 20--Dallas, TX
May 02 -04--Huntington Beach, CA
May 08 - 10--Charleston, SC
May 24 - 26--Louisville, KY
May 30 - June 01--Atlanta,GA
June 06 - 08--Hermosa Beach, CA
June 20 - 22-- Belmar,NJ
July 04 - 06--Boulder,CO
July 11 - 13--Chicago, IL
July 18 - 20--Brooklyn, NY
July 25-27--Long Beach,CA
Aug 01-03--SanDiego,CA
Aug 09-21--Qlympics Beijing,China
Aug 29-31--Cincinnati OH
Sept 06-07--SantaBarbara,CA
Sept 12 - 14--San Francisco, CA
Sept 19 - 21--Manhattan Beach, CA
Sept 26 - 28--Glendale, AZ

How To Get There :

From Eastbound on SR 836 (Dolphin Expressway):
At the end of the Freeway, continue East onto I-395
Take N.E 2nd Avenue exit - EXIT 2B
Take N.E. 2nd to N.E. 10th Street
Turn Left onto N.E. 10th Street
Turn Right on Biscayne Boulevard
The entrance is on the left at N.E. 9th Street

From the South:
I-95 North to Exit 2D
Take N.E 2nd Avenue exit - EXIT 2B
Take N.E. 2nd to N.E. 10th Street
Turn Left onto N.E. 10th Street
Turn Right on Biscayne Boulevard
The entrance is on the left at N.E. 9th Street

Sponsor Activities:

Be a part of the Bud Light Party Zone.  Look for Bud Light onsite to find out more information.




The Aquafina Purity Patrol is coming to the beach with tons of fun activities in the sun.  Compete in the the Aquafina Obstacle Course, Aquafina/ Wilson Speed Serve/ and "Return to Aquafina" hitting challenges.  See how you stand up against AVP Pros and your friends and win cool prizes.



Visit Xbox at the beach and challenge your friends in the latest and greatest Xbox Game titles.  You can be King and sit in Xbox's "King of the Court" seats, the hottest seats on stadium court all weekend long or for the Men's and Women's finals.  You'll be front row in your Xbox visor, t-shirt, tattoo and much more watching the pro beach stars battle for number one.   

                                                           

Stop by on Saturday for samples and give-aways.  On Sunday, come by for $10 Cut-a-thon and get your hair cut and styled by one of Paul Mitchell's talented stylists.  Profits go to Eric Fonoimoana's "Dig For Kids" Foundation.  You'll walk around the beach looking fantastic, and for a good cause.

Look for the Gatorade at all AVP events!

Wilson the official volleyball of the AVP!

Event Links:                                                                      
                                                                                             
  2008 AVP Tour Event Coverage

(Format: Double Elimination)

*IAN CLARK WILLNOT BE  PLAYING THIS YEAR'S  2008 AVP MIAMI OPEN DUE TO PRIOR COMMITMENTS

(AVP MIAMI REGISTRATION HAS STARTED)

2008 Men's Miami Open Champions >> Phil Dalhausser /Todd Rogers

2008 Women's $200,000 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open
April 10th-April 13th, 2008
 
          

April 10-13, 2008 
Finish Player Partner Seed  
  Misty May-Treanor Kerri Walsh 1  
  Nicole Branagh Elaine Youngs 2  
  Tyra Turner Rachel Wacholder 3  
  Jennifer Boss April Ross 4  
  Annett Davis Jenny Johnson Jordan 5  
  Angie Akers Holly McPeak 6  
  Carrie Dodd Tatiana Minello 7  
  Katie Lindquist Tracy Lindquist 8  
  Jenny Kropp Nancy Mason 9  
  Ashley Ivy Heather Lowe 10  
  Jennifer Fopma Jenny Pavley 11  
  Angela Lewis Sarah Straton 12  
  Michelle More Suzanne Stonebarger 13  
  Alicia Polzin Janelle Ruen 14  
  Paula Roca Stacy Rouwenhorst 15  
  Jenelle Koester Priscilla Lima 16  
  Brooke Langston Julie Romias 17  
  Angela Knopf Saralyn Smith 18  
  Whitney Pavlik Jennifer Snyder 19  
  Sara Dukes Chrissie Zartman 20  
  Angela McHenry Lisa Rutledge Q1  
  Leilani Kamahoahoa Catie Mintz Q2  
  Erin Byrd Stephanie Chapek Q3  
  Kealani Kimball Rosalinda Masler Q4  
  Angie Hall Lauren Mills Q5  
  Paige Davis Courtney Guerra Q6  
  Kristi Martin Laurel Riechmann Q7  
  Erika Figueiredo Ella Vakhidova Q8  
  Gabriela Roney Lenka Urbanova Q9  
  Keegan Featherstone Kimberly Vicknair Q10  
  Julie Caldwell Cindie Valeriano Q11  
  Becca Smith Rachel Smith Q12  
  Johanna Lehman Jean Mathews Q13  
  Bonnie Levin Rebeca Pazo Q14  
  Raquel Beson Kelly Weiler Q15  
  Lisa Marshall Antoinette Polk Q16  
  Capri Hilgendorf Cindy Phillips Q17  
  Jennifer Bily Wanda Brenton Q18  
  Tree Jones-Hagen Alev Tugcu Q19  
  Shannon Christianson Jennifer Sharp Q20  
  Kristen Batt Meghan Wallin Q21  
  Ro LaHara Lisa Rembe Q22  
  Kristy Hartley Brooke Sweat Q23  
  Kendra Jackson Heather Larkin Q24  
  Morgan Flarity Brandi Tenlen Q25  
  Renee Bizzieri Cayley Thurlby Q26  
  Daven Allison Nora Tobin Q27  
  Kathryn Babcock Traci Morin Q28

Women's 2008 Results:

Women's $100,000 AVP Gold Crown Miami
April 10-13, 2008 
Finish Player Partner Seed Winnings Points  
1 Misty May-Treanor Kerri Walsh 1 $20,000.00 360.0  
2 Nicole Branagh Elaine Youngs 2 $15,000.00 324.0  
3 Tyra Turner Rachel Wacholder 3 $9,500.00 270.0  
3 Jennifer Boss April Ross 4 $9,500.00 270.0  
5 Annett Davis Jenny Johnson Jordan 5 $6,000.00 216.0  
5 Angie Akers Holly McPeak 6 $6,000.00 216.0  
7 Ashley Ivy Heather Lowe 10 $4,650.00 180.0  
7 Jennifer Fopma Jenny Pavley 11 $4,650.00 180.0  
9 Carrie Dodd Tatiana Minello 7 $2,875.00 144.0  
9 Katie Lindquist Tracy Lindquist 8 $2,875.00 144.0  
9 Jenny Kropp Nancy Mason 9 $2,875.00 144.0  
9 Whitney Pavlik Jennifer Snyder 19 $2,875.00 144.0  
13 Paula Roca Stacy Rouwenhorst 15 $1,700.00 108.0  
13 Angela Knopf Saralyn Smith 18 $1,700.00 108.0  
13 Sara Dukes Chrissie Zartman 20 $1,700.00 108.0  
13 Leilani Kamahoahoa Catie Mintz 22, Q2 $1,700.00 108.0  
17 Angela Lewis Sarah Straton 12 $800.00 72.0  
17 Michelle More Suzanne Stonebarger 13 $800.00 72.0  
17 Alicia Polzin Janelle Ruen 14 $800.00 72.0  
17 Jenelle Koester Priscilla Lima 16 $800.00 72.0  
17 Brooke Langston Julie Romias 17 $800.00 72.0  
17 Angela McHenry Lisa Rutledge 21, Q1 $800.00 72.0  
17 Kealani Kimball Rosalinda Masler 23, Q4 $800.00 72.0  
17 Erin Byrd Stephanie Chapek 24, Q3 $800.00 72.0  
25 Paige Davis Courtney Guerra Q6 $0.00 36.0  
25 Gabriela Roney Lenka Urbanova Q9 $0.00 36.0  
25 Kristen Batt Meghan Wallin Q21 $0.00 36.0  
25 Kristy Hartley Brooke Sweat Q23 $0.00 36.0  
29 Angie Hall Lauren Mills Q5 $0.00 18.0  
29 Erika Figueiredo Ella Vakhidova Q8 $0.00 18.0  
29 Julie Caldwell Cindie Valeriano Q11 $0.00 18.0  
29 Johanna Lehman Jean Mathews Q13 $0.00 18.0  
29 Raquel Beson Kelly Weiler Q15 $0.00 18.0  
29 Capri Hilgendorf Cindy Phillips Q17 $0.00 18.0  
29 Tree Jones-Hagen Alev Tugcu Q19 $0.00 18.0  
29 Renee Bizzieri Cayley Thurlby Q26 $0.00 18.0  
37 Kristi Martin Laurel Riechmann Q7 $0.00 12.0  
37 Keegan Featherstone Kimberly Vicknair Q10 $0.00 12.0  
37 Becca Smith Rachel Smith Q12 $0.00 12.0  
37 Bonnie Levin Rebeca Pazo Q14 $0.00 12.0  
37 Lisa Marshall Antoinette Polk Q16 $0.00 12.0  
37 Jennifer Bily Wanda Brenton Q18 $0.00 12.0  
37 Shannon Christianson Jennifer Sharp Q20 $0.00 12.0  
37 Ro LaHara Lisa Rembe Q22 $0.00 12.0  
37 Kendra Jackson Heather Larkin Q24 $0.00 12.0  
37 Morgan Flarity Brandi Tenlen Q25 $0.00 12.0  
37 Daven Allison Nora Tobin Q27 $0.00 12.0  
37 Kathryn Babcock Traci Morin Q28 $0.00 12.0     

Women's $100,000 AVP Gold Crown Miami
April 10-13, 2008 

Qualifier Bracket
Round 1
Match 2: Capri Hilgendorf / Cindy Phillips (Q17) def. Lisa Marshall / Antoinette Polk (Q16) 21-7, 19-21, 15-10 (0:51)
Match 3: Gabriela Roney / Lenka Urbanova (Q9) def. Kendra Jackson / Heather Larkin (Q24) 13-21, 22-20, 18-16 (0:56)
Match 4: Erika Figueiredo / Ella Vakhidova (Q8) def. Morgan Flarity / Brandi Tenlen (Q25) 21-16, 21-18 (0:40)
Match 5: Angie Hall / Lauren Mills (Q5) def. Kathryn Babcock / Traci Morin (Q28) 21-14, 21-13 (0:29)
Match 6: Kristen Batt / Meghan Wallin (Q21) def. Becca Smith / Rachel Smith (Q12) 21-17, 21-14 (0:38)
Match 7: Johanna Lehman / Jean Mathews (Q13) def. Shannon Christianson / Jennifer Sharp (Q20) 21-13, 26-24 (0:46)
Match 10: Tree Jones-Hagen / Alev Tugcu (Q19) def. Bonnie Levin / Rebeca Pazo (Q14) 22-20, 21-15 (0:37)
Match 11: Julie Caldwell / Cindie Valeriano (Q11) def. Ro LaHara / Lisa Rembe (Q22) 22-20, 21-17 (0:38)
Match 12: Paige Davis / Courtney Guerra (Q6) def. Daven Allison / Nora Tobin (Q27) 21-6, 21-14 (0:31)
Match 13: Renee Bizzieri / Cayley Thurlby (Q26) def. Kristi Martin / Laurel Riechmann (Q7) 10-21, 21-17, 15-13 (0:53)
Match 14: Kristy Hartley / Brooke Sweat (Q23) def. Keegan Featherstone / Kimberly Vicknair (Q10) 21-18, 21-16 (0:41)
Match 15: Raquel Beson / Kelly Weiler (Q15) def. Jennifer Bily / Wanda Brenton (Q18) 21-11, 21-12 (0:39)

Round 2
Match 17: Angela McHenry / Lisa Rutledge (21, Q1) def. Capri Hilgendorf / Cindy Phillips (Q17) 21-13, 21-13 (0:41)
Match 18: Gabriela Roney / Lenka Urbanova (Q9) def. Erika Figueiredo / Ella Vakhidova (Q8) 21-16, 21-16 (0:42)
Match 19: Kristen Batt / Meghan Wallin (Q21) def. Angie Hall / Lauren Mills (Q5) 21-18, 21-18 (0:39)
Match 20: Kealani Kimball / Rosalinda Masler (23, Q4) def. Johanna Lehman / Jean Mathews (Q13) 21-14, 23-21 (0:42)
Match 21: Erin Byrd / Stephanie Chapek (24, Q3) def. Tree Jones-Hagen / Alev Tugcu (Q19) 21-14, 21-15 (0:37)
Match 22: Paige Davis / Courtney Guerra (Q6) def. Julie Caldwell / Cindie Valeriano (Q11) 21-13, 21-4 (0:41)
Match 23: Kristy Hartley / Brooke Sweat (Q23) def. Renee Bizzieri / Cayley Thurlby (Q26) 21-16, 21-17 (0:41)
Match 24: Leilani Kamahoahoa / Catie Mintz (22, Q2) def. Raquel Beson / Kelly Weiler (Q15) 21-16, 21-15 (0:45)

Round 3
Match 25: Angela McHenry / Lisa Rutledge (21, Q1) def. Gabriela Roney / Lenka Urbanova (Q9) 23-21, 22-20 (0:45)
Match 26: Kealani Kimball / Rosalinda Masler (23, Q4) def. Kristen Batt / Meghan Wallin (Q21) 21-10, 21-18 (0:46)
Match 27: Erin Byrd / Stephanie Chapek (24, Q3) def. Paige Davis / Courtney Guerra (Q6) 15-21, 21-14, 15-9 (0:51)
Match 28: Leilani Kamahoahoa / Catie Mintz (22, Q2) def. Kristy Hartley / Brooke Sweat (Q23) 18-21, 21-18, 15-12 (0:57)

Winner's Bracket
Round 1
Match 1: Brooke Langston / Julie Romias (17) def. Jenelle Koester / Priscilla Lima (16) 21-12, 21-17 (0:39)      
Match 2: Jenny Kropp / Nancy Mason (9) def. Erin Byrd / Stephanie Chapek (24, Q3) 21-17, 22-20 (0:44)
Match 3: Angela McHenry / Lisa Rutledge (21, Q1) def. Angela Lewis / Sarah Straton (12) 25-23, 22-20 (0:59)      
Match 4: Michelle More / Suzanne Stonebarger (13) def. Sara Dukes / Chrissie Zartman (20) 21-14, 22-20 (0:40)
Match 5: Alicia Polzin / Janelle Ruen (14) def. Whitney Pavlik / Jennifer Snyder (19) 21-13, 13-21, 15-8 (1:00)
Match 6: Jennifer Fopma / Jenny Pavley (11) def. Leilani Kamahoahoa / Catie Mintz (22, Q2) 21-16, 21-18 (0:50)      
Match 7: Ashley Ivy / Heather Lowe (10) def. Kealani Kimball / Rosalinda Masler (23, Q4) 24-22, 21-19 (0:43)
Match 8: Paula Roca / Stacy Rouwenhorst (15) def. Angela Knopf / Saralyn Smith (18) 21-17, 21-17 (0:49)      

Round 2
Match 9: Misty May-Treanor / Kerri Walsh (1) def. Brooke Langston / Julie Romias (17) 21-11, 21-14 (0:34)
Match 10: Katie Lindquist / Tracy Lindquist (8) def. Jenny Kropp / Nancy Mason (9) 21-11, 21-16 (0:47)
Match 11: Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan (5) def. Angela McHenry / Lisa Rutledge (21, Q1) 21-18, 21-16 (0:47)
Match 12: Jennifer Boss / April Ross (4) def. Michelle More / Suzanne Stonebarger (13) 21-17, 16-21, 15-11 (1:04)
Match 13: Tyra Turner / Rachel Wacholder (3) def. Alicia Polzin / Janelle Ruen (14) 21-18, 29-27 (0:50)
Match 14: Angie Akers / Holly McPeak (6) def. Jennifer Fopma / Jenny Pavley (11) 21-16, 29-27 (0:51)
Match 15: Ashley Ivy / Heather Lowe (10) def. Carrie Dodd / Tatiana Minello (7) 16-21, 21-17, 15-13 (1:05)
Match 16: Nicole Branagh / Elaine Youngs (2) def. Paula Roca / Stacy Rouwenhorst (15) 21-15, 21-13 (0:41)

Round 3
Match 17: Misty May-Treanor / Kerri Walsh (1) def. Katie Lindquist / Tracy Lindquist (8) 21-9, 21-8 (0:30)
Match 18: Jennifer Boss / April Ross (4) def. Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan (5) 16-21, 24-22, 15-13 (1:10)
Match 19: Tyra Turner / Rachel Wacholder (3) def. Angie Akers / Holly McPeak (6) 21-19, 21-17 (0:45)
Match 20: Nicole Branagh / Elaine Youngs (2) def. Ashley Ivy / Heather Lowe (10) 21-16, 21-13 (0:38)

Round 4
Match 21: Misty May-Treanor / Kerri Walsh (1) def. Jennifer Boss / April Ross (4) 18-21, 21-14, 15-8 (0:52)
Match 22: Nicole Branagh / Elaine Youngs (2) def. Tyra Turner / Rachel Wacholder (3) 21-17, 21-16 (0:44)

Contender's Bracket
Round 1
Match 23: Paula Roca / Stacy Rouwenhorst (15) def. Jenelle Koester / Priscilla Lima (16) 21-19, 21-19 (0:47)
Match 24: Carrie Dodd / Tatiana Minello (7) def. Erin Byrd / Stephanie Chapek (24, Q3) 21-16, 21-17 (0:41)
Match 25: Jennifer Fopma / Jenny Pavley (11) def. Angela Lewis / Sarah Straton (12) 21-15, 21-11 (0:40)
Match 26: Sara Dukes / Chrissie Zartman (20) def. Alicia Polzin / Janelle Ruen (14) 16-21, 21-14, 23-21 (1:11)
Match 27: Whitney Pavlik / Jennifer Snyder (19) def. Michelle More / Suzanne Stonebarger (13) 21-19, 17-21, 15-12 (1:13)
Match 28: Leilani Kamahoahoa / Catie Mintz (22, Q2) def. Angela McHenry / Lisa Rutledge (21, Q1) 21-19, 21-10 (0:49)
Match 29: Jenny Kropp / Nancy Mason (9) def. Kealani Kimball / Rosalinda Masler (23, Q4) 21-13, 21-15 (0:45)
Match 30: Angela Knopf / Saralyn Smith (18) def. Brooke Langston / Julie Romias (17) 21-19, 22-24, 15-13 (1:01)

Round 2
Match 31: Carrie Dodd / Tatiana Minello (7) def. Paula Roca / Stacy Rouwenhorst (15) 21-18, 21-17 (0:44)
Match 32: Jennifer Fopma / Jenny Pavley (11) def. Sara Dukes / Chrissie Zartman (20) 21-18, 21-17 (0:38)
Match 33: Whitney Pavlik / Jennifer Snyder (19) def. Leilani Kamahoahoa / Catie Mintz (22, Q2) 24-22, 21-14 (0:44)
Match 34: Jenny Kropp / Nancy Mason (9) def. Angela Knopf / Saralyn Smith (18) 21-15, 18-21, 15-10 (0:56)

Round 3
Match 35: Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan (5) def. Carrie Dodd / Tatiana Minello (7) 21-19, 18-21, 17-15 (1:10)
Match 36: Jennifer Fopma / Jenny Pavley (11) def. Katie Lindquist / Tracy Lindquist (8) 11-21, 21-12, 17-15 (1:15)
Match 37: Ashley Ivy / Heather Lowe (10) def. Whitney Pavlik / Jennifer Snyder (19) 21-17, 22-20 (0:46)
Match 38: Angie Akers / Holly McPeak (6) def. Jenny Kropp / Nancy Mason (9) 21-13, 21-18 (0:39)

Round 4
Match 39: Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan (5) def. Jennifer Fopma / Jenny Pavley (11) 21-17, 21-13 (0:40)
Match 40: Angie Akers / Holly McPeak (6) def. Ashley Ivy / Heather Lowe (10) 21-15, 19-21, 15-10 (0:51)

Round 5
Match 41: Tyra Turner / Rachel Wacholder (3) def. Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan (5) 21-16, 24-22 (0:48)      
Match 42: Jennifer Boss / April Ross (4) def. Angie Akers / Holly McPeak (6) 21-13, 21-19 (0:47)      

Semifinals
Match 43: Misty May-Treanor / Kerri Walsh (1) def. Tyra Turner / Rachel Wacholder (3) 21-15, 21-10 (0:37)      
Match 44: Nicole Branagh / Elaine Youngs (2) def. Jennifer Boss / April Ross (4) 21-15, 21-19 (0:48)      

Finals
Match 45: Misty May-Treanor / Kerri Walsh (1) def. Nicole Branagh / Elaine Youngs (2) 21-15, 17-21, 15-13 (1:02)       

2008 Women's Quervo Gold Crown Miami Open Champions >>Misty May-Treanor/Kerri Walsh
       
      Misty May-Treanor                                     Kerri Walsh

 
Articles 2008:

2008 AVP schedule announced
Season's slate includes 18 events
LOS ANGELES -- AVP, Inc., a lifestyle sports entertainment company focused on professional beach volleyball, announced on Wednesday its 2008 AVP Crocs Tour schedule. It includes 18 tour stops across the continental United States, from Florida to New York and back to Southern California. The AVP will also observe its 25th anniversary July 19, 2008 -- the celebration will last throughout the season.
The 2008 AVP Crocs Tour includes 18 stops -- 17 regular-season events and one post-regular-season event, which will determine the best of the beach in Glendale, Ariz. Tickets to all 2008 Tour events will be available at www.avp.com.

April 11-13 - Miami, Fla.
April 18-20 - Dallas, Texas
May 2-4 - Huntington Beach, Calif.
May 8-10 - Charleston, S.C.
May 24-26 - Louisville, Ky.
May 30-June 1 - Atlanta, Ga.
June 6-8 - Hermosa Beach, Calif.
June 20-22 - Belmar, N.J.
July 4-6 - Boulder, Colo.
TBA - Chicago, Ill.
July 18-20 - Brooklyn, N.Y.
July 25-27 - Long Beach, Calif.
Aug. 1-3 - San Diego, Calif.
Aug. 29-31 - Cincinnati, Ohio
Sept. 6-7 - Santa Barbara, Calif.
Sept. 12-14 - San Francisco, Calif.
Sept. 19-21 - Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Sept. 26-28 - Glendale, Ariz.

A detailed television broadcast schedule will be released soon.

The AVP has continued its development of several promoter relationships, as well as creating new ones to help bring the action of the AVP to additional cities throughout the United States. This year, the AVP has partnered with Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), a top sports and entertainment company, to promote all of its Southern California stops. In other markets, local promoter partnerships are responsible for promoting events in their area, including tickets, hospitality, concessions and sponsorships. Event cities with local partners announced to date include: Miami (Miami Heat), Dallas (Hicks Sports Marketing Group), San Francisco (Giants Enterprises), Glendale (Ellman Companies), Atlanta (Atlanta Sports Council), Charleston (Family Circle Cup), Louisville (Blue Entertainment Sports Television (BEST) and Reach Event Marketing, Cincinnati (Reach Event Marketing). AVP's strategic alliances with top local promoters allows the Tour to gain a stronger presence in event markets as well as year-round local marketing and outreach for each event.

AVP continues to work with its blue chip sponsor base that includes internationally recognized brands such as Crocs, Anheuser-Busch, Gatorade, McDonald's, Jose Cuervo, Hilton Hotels & Hilton Garden Inn, Nature Valley Granola Bars, Nautica and Wilson. The AVP also has local sponsorships in various Tour cities.

"We are excited to announce our 2008 tour schedule, and our 25th anniversary as an organization," said Leonard Armato, CEO and Tour Commissioner. "This upcoming year will be an especially exciting one, as fans will be able to watch the teams that will represent the United States in the 2008 Olympics right on their home soil and in their hometowns. I'm especially excited about our new partnership with AEG for our Southern California stops. We're confident that this new arrangement, and this year as a whole, will bring great things for our Tour."

AVP heads to South Beach
Miami will be the site for the Tour opener in 2008
AVP Press Release
MIAMI -- Heat Group Enterprises, a division of the Heat Group responsible for promoting, presenting and producing events inside and outside the AmericanAirlines Arena, and the AVP have today announced the return of professional beach volleyball to South Beach with the 2008 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open.
The tournament will be held April 11-13 on South Beach, at Ocean Drive and 8th Street. The event marks the kick off of the 2008 AVP Crocs Tour. The AVP last visited Miami in 2007 when the tour was hosted adjacent to the AmericanAirlines Arena at Bicentennial Park. Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers took home the 2007 men's title, and Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh took home the women's title.
A press conference has been scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 31, at 1 p.m. on Ocean Drive at 8th Street. Guest speakers will include Executive Vice President of Heat Group Enterprises Mike Walker, AVP's 2007 Most Valuable Player Phil Dalhausser and AVP rising star Priscilla Lima. Adding some Miami Heat flavor to the event, rookie guard Daequan Cook will be on hand and Heat in-arena host "Dale" will emcee, while the Heat Dancers and the Heat Street Band set the midday mood. Lunch will be provided for all media in attendance.
While media will be required to park at the off-site garage on at 7th Street and Collins Avenue, parking fees will be reimbursed.
"We can't think of a better showcase for the 2008 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open than the tropical paradise known as South Beach," said Executive Vice President of Heat Group Enterprises Mike Walker. "We invite everyone to enjoy the AVP's top-notch athletes playing an engaging sport in a world class setting with a very distinctive South Florida ambiance. It's going to be quite the beach party."
As part of its multi-year integrated partnership with the AVP, Heat Group Enterprises is the full local promoter in charge of the promotion and presentation of the 2008 event, including generating all local revenue for the tournament, and handling all ticketing, concessions, sponsorships and hospitality responsibilities.
"We are excited to build upon last year's successful event and build on our relationship with Heat Group Enterprises which is enabling us to bring the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour back to South Beach and the great city of Miami," said Leonard Armato, CEO and Tour Commissioner. "We look forward to working with Heat Group Enterprises to bring the excitement and competition of the AVP Crocs Tour to our fans in Miami and surrounding areas and to continue expanding the popularity of the sport of pro beach volleyball."
The 2008 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open event runs April 11-13th with the men's and women's finals on Sunday, April 13. The details of the television component of the event are still in negotiations and an announcement will be made with those details once they are complete. More than 150 of the world's top men's and women's beach volleyball professionals will compete in the tournament.
Tickets will go on sale on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 10 a.m. online at AAArena.com and Ticketmaster.com. General admission tickets will be priced at $25 and reserving seating will be priced at $45. Additionally, group tickets will be offered at a discounted price.

Walsh a (bundle) of nerves of steel
Charles Whisnand
Appeal Sports Editor, cwhisnand@nevadaappeal.com
April 4, 2008, 4:01 AM
RENO - Kerri Walsh is the best female beach volleyball player of all time, but no matter what the event is, it's still like she's a little girl with butterflies in her stomach.
So with her first AVP event coming up a week from today in Miami, the nerves are already beginning to come.
"I'm getting nervous about that," she said. She said she becomes nervous "about everything. I think it's just part of my nature."
With her schedule this year, it should be a nerve-wracking year for Walsh. Along with a busy AVP and international schedule of more than 25 tournaments, Walsh and her partner, Misty May-Treanor will look to defend the gold medal they won at the 2004 Olympics in Beijing in August.
Walsh was at the Peppermill on Thursday to speak at the Salute to Champions Dinner which benefits University of Nevada women's athletics.
Along with winning Olympic gold, Walsh and Treanor have dominated the AVP and international tours, winning 89 straight matches at one point between 2003 and 2004. The two have played together for eight years and Walsh said their personalities are perfect for each other.
While they are both happily married to their own husbands, Walsh said she and Treanor are like a married couple in many ways.
"She's a really quirky girl, she's hilarious," Walsh said. But when the two play together, Walsh said Treanor "gets quiet and focused."
On the other hand while Walsh is the more fired up of the two when they play, she's not as boisterous out of competition.
Walsh said while she's not always shy there are times "you can't get a peep out of me."
"It's a great balance," said Walsh about her relationship with Treanor. "It feels like we've grown up together. I'm a little bit more reserved."
She said the reason why she's more reserved out of competition may be because "I expend so much energy and passion on the court."
Even though it's an Olympic year, Walsh said there will be no slowing down as she and Treanor will maintain a full schedule up to and after the Olympics. She added while the schedule is a little more demanding this year, it's not much different than it was in 2004.
She said the more demanding part of the schedule is actually the growing number of appearances she's making like the Salute to Champions Dinner. But Walsh said it's an honor to be asked for her time and that she's learning how to balance her schedule in and out of competition.
"Intense to say the very, very least," said Walsh about her schedule this year. "There are so many demands on our time."
And Walsh admitted that she and Treanor will have to "pace ourselves, but still kick butt" when it comes to this year's schedule. "We want to peak in August," said Walsh about the Olympics.
"It was overwhelming actually," said Walsh about winning in 2004. You don't know if you want to laugh or cry. To get that was absolutely the most wonderful experience."
Both Walsh and Treanor are both about 30, older than most beach volleyball players, and Walsh admitted "there's a lot of young guns out there." But Walsh said she and Treanor are determined to defend their Olympic title.
Walsh said she couldn't have imagined the success and attention she's experienced, but admitted, "I think you hope and dream of those things."
That's the message she planned to give on Thursday. "Tonight is the Salute to Champions," Walsh said.
"In my life that's where I aspired to be. It's so important to understand that it's more of a team effort and it starts when they are little girls."

Quarterback shows he can block
Former NFL star Fiedler learns demands of volleyball
By Walter Villa / Special to avp.com
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- After watching former NFL starter Jay Fiedler stuff 6-foot-6 Russ Marchewka and 6-foot-3 Mike Placek a couple times at the net on Thursday morning, an AVP Tour referee had a clever line.
"I guess quarterbacks can block," the ref said.
But despite those glorious moments in the blazing South Beach sun, Fiedler and teammate Marcos Macau lost, 21-13, 21-14, in the first round of qualifying for the AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Crocs Tour Miami Open.
The Miami event is the season opener for the 2008 AVP Tour, which also includes seven stops in California. Other sites this season include Dallas, Charleston, S.C., Louisville, Atlanta, Belmar, N.J., Boulder, Colo., Chicago, Brooklyn, N.Y., Cincinnati and Glendale, Ariz.
But that's on down the road, literally. The focus on Thursday was on Fiedler, who built a following in Miami as the quarterback of the Dolphins.
Fiedler, who followed the legendary Dan Marino as the quarterback of the Dolphins, led Miami to the playoffs in two of the four years he served as the starter. The Dolphins won at least 10 games in three of Fiedler's years leading the team.
Fiedler was listed at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds during his playing days. On Thursday, Fiedler said he was about "15 to 20 pounds" heavier now than during his NFL career, which ended with the New York Jets in 2005, because of a shoulder injury.
Fiedler said he wasn't sure what to expect on Thursday.
"I was a little nervous that I would come out here and embarrass myself," said Fiedler, 36. "But I think I made a good showing."
Fiedler said he had never played volleyball competitively — his experience in the sport before Thursday had been limited to "summer camp and gym class."
"I think I have good enough coordination to try this, but it is definitely tougher than it looks, especially on the sand," said Fiedler, who has played some pick-up basketball to stay in shape since retiring. "I definitely got a little winded."
Fiedler had only one practice before Thursday's match, a two-hour introduction to the beach game on Wednesday, with Macau serving as professor.
"I was amazed at how well he did," Macau said. "I told him that he is a much better blocker than I am. He showed he could get up there and reach over the net. Anytime you can get even one block on the No. 1 seeds [in qualifying], that's great But I think he got three or four blocks.
"You could tell Jay is a fighter. He was out there giving it everything he had. He has that toughness from being an NFL quarterback."
Placek and Marchewka, knowing that the cameras would be out to capture a bit of the match due to Fiedler's notoriety, joked that they spent a little extra time working on their hair this morning, just in case they got some TV time.
"Jay was fun to play against," Placek said. "You almost wanted to make the match longer so that we could have more fun. But it awesome to play against a pro athlete from another sport, especially since he didn't take himself too seriously and just had fun."
Fiedler is also having fun with the East Kentucky Miners, a Continental Basketball Association team he co-owns with Demetrius Ford. The Miners, based in Pikeville, Ky., are one of 11 teams in the CBA.
"Pikeville [Kentucky] is a great minor-league basketball market, " said Fiedler, who lives in New York and also owns an entertainment company that promotes musicians and concerts. "It's also fun to work with guys trying to make it to the next level because that is the path I took with the World League and being out of football for a couple of years before breaking back into it.
"It's great to see these guys have dreams and give them a chance to showcase it in the CBA. It's exciting. Hopefully, a couple of guys who have played for us in the CBA can eventually make it to the NBA."
As for his own athletic career, Fiedler said he would not be opposed to playing volleyball again.
"It was a blast," he said. "I don't know how my shoulder would hold out after a couple of surgeries, but I'd love to do it again sometime."

DIG THE BEACH
What: $200,000 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open.
When: Today-Sunday, today's qualifier 8 a.m.
Today's special attraction: Free Hilton/AVP Youth and Wellness Clinic with 2007 MVP Phil Dalhausser, 2004 Olympic medalist Elaine Youngs and five other players, AVP Center Court, 4-7 p.m.
Where: Lummus Park, Ocean Drive at Eighth and Ninth streets, Miami Beach.
How to get there: Take I-95 south to I-395, exit 2D toward Miami Beach, merge onto 395 East (MacArthur Causeway). Take Fifth Street to Ocean Drive, then left to Eighth and Ninth streets. There are multiple parking garages from Seventh to 17th streets.
Admission: Free today; $10 /$20 general admission and reserved Friday; $25 /$45 general admission and reserved Saturday and Sunday.
Of note: The AVP season opener has the largest prize purse in AVP history. Miami Beach is the first of a record 17 cities from New York to San Francisco. Boston and Las Vegas have been dropped as sites. More than 150 of the best beach volleyball players will compete.
Web site: www.avp.com.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
(Today's local qualifier)
MEN
Mark Van Zwieten/Steve Van Zwieten, Pompano Beach, No. 7 seeds
David DiPierro, Pompano Beach/David Fischer, Venice, Calif. (11)
Gaston Macau, Miami Beach/Jim Walls, Erma, N.J. (14)
Tyler Lesneski, Palm Beach Gardens/Andrew Melo, Deerfield Beach (16)
Aaron Wexler, Hollywood/Travis Schoonover, Studio City, Calif. (22)
Mike Morales, Pompano Beach/Eric Wurts, Fort Lauderdale (23)
Keawe Adolpho, Coconut Creek/Jim Van Zwieten, Pompano Beach (25)
Adrian Carambula, Miami Beach/Hernan Russian, Miami Beach (27)
Tony Epie, Hollywood/Derek Sorensen, Redondo Beach, Calif. (28)
Ossie Barreras, Boca Raton/Andreas Olesen, Miami Beach (29)
Jay Fiedler, Miami/Marcos Macau, Coral Gables (32)
WOMEN
Bonnie Levin, Miami/Rebecca Pazo, Miami, No. 15 seeds
Capri Hilgendorf, West Palm Beach/Cindy Phillips, Deerfield Beach (18)
Jennifer Bily, Atlanta/Wanda Brenton, Miami (19)
Tree Jones-Hagen, Miami/Alev Tugcu, Fort Lauderdale (20)
Kristen Batt, Venice, Del./Meghan Wallin, Miami (22)
Ro LaHara, Pembroke Pines/Lisa Rembe, Memphis (23)
Kendra Jackson, Pompano Beach/Heather Larkin, Deerfield Beach (25)
Morgan Flarity, St. Petersburg/Brandi Tenlen, Port St. Lucie (26)
Friday-Sunday main draw
MEN
Phil Dalhausser/Todd Rogers, No. 1 seeds: The 2008 U.S. Olympic hopefuls are the tour's hottest team and lead the Olympic qualifying points race.
Nick Lucena/Sean Scott, No. 6 seeds: Lucena, a Western alumnus, grew up playing indoors and outdoors in South Florida and is one of the few locals to make the AVP tour. He is playing with new partner Scott.
Mike DiPierro/Mike Morrison, No. 14 seeds: DiPierro, a national and state champion, is the state's winningest player on local and satellite tours and is close to making a name for himself on the AVP tour.
WOMEN
Misty May-Treanor/Kerri Walsh, No. 1 seeds: Treanor, who lives in Coral Springs with her husband, Marlins catcher Matt Treanor, and Walsh, the No. 1 world-ranked and 2004 Olympic gold medalists, are arguably the all-time greatest women's team in the sport.
Tyra Turner/Rachel Wacholder, No. 3 seeds: Turner, from Fort Myers, grew up competing in South Florida tournaments and is one of the tour's rising players.
Angie Akers/Holly McPeak, No. 7 seeds: McPeak, one of the winningest players and an Olympic bronze medalist, is playing her final AVP season after paving the way for the women's tour.

St. Thomas Aquinas coach Mike DiPierro also starring on AVP tour
St. Thomas' DiPierro takes to AVP's beach
April 10, 2008
MIAMI BEACH - Mike DiPierro will have his cell phone close by during this weekend's $200,000 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open at Lummus Park.
The St. Thomas Aquinas boys' volleyball coach will compete in the main draw of the AVP beach volleyball season opener while the Raiders (9-1) play in the Jungle Queen Invitational at Cardinal Gibbons.
At 27, DiPierro is the state's most dominant and consistent player. He is also part of Florida's new generation of players breaking the stronghold California players seem to have in the sport.
DiPierro will play with Mike Morrison of Encinitas, Calif. The pair are seeded No. 14. They will get to skip today's qualifier, which DiPierro has seen his share of since he started playing part-time on the AVP in 2000 after graduating from Cardinal Gibbons.
DiPierro, recently engaged to longtime girlfriend Katie McNett, has the best of both worlds playing professionally and coaching high school indoor volleyball.
"I am having a blast," DiPierro said Tuesday after watching the Raiders defeat Stranahan in three games in a District 9 matchup. "All the kids are great kids. They are eager to learn so it makes my job a little bit better."
Said St. Thomas junior outside hitter Mike Daly: "He has a lot of experience in the game and teaches us everything he knows. We like having him as a coach."
DiPierro said coaching younger players has helped his beach game.
"I go from watching and coaching them to playing beach. I can take out a lot of the frustration of coaching kids on the beach. It's helping me focus and train harder. It is carrying over and making me want to play better on the beach."
DiPierro, who also plays with his older brother, David, and Mark Van Zwieten has started off well this season playing four local tournaments. He won last month's $5,000 Fort Lauderdale Open.
Many say DiPierro has the potential to join the likes of former Florida players George Roumain of Parkland, not competing because of injuries, and Nick Lucena of Davie. Both got their start in indoor high school volleyball in Broward County and played local beach tournaments during summers. They are now among the tour's top players.
One of DiPierro's biggest AVP wins was at the $200,000 AVP Louisville Open where he teamed with Paul Baxter of Venice, Calif., to knock off veteran players Brent Doble and Ryan Mariano 21-13, 21-19 to finish 13th.
In 2006 and 2007 DiPierro and Steve Grotowski, now training for the British Olympic team, won 19 non-AVP tournaments, including 15 in 2006. They were undefeated in East Coast tournaments and ranked 20th on the AVP. DiPierro won three national tournaments with his brother and Grotowski.
His best finish on the AVP is ninth that earned his team $8,600 in prize money. Last year he played in 10 tournaments and pocketed $8,500.
DiPierro is ambidextrous, which is a big advantage in beach. He can hit with both hands, and that's an advantage most players don't have.
While he hopes to teach and continue coaching, DiPierro would like to see if he could make a career out of the sport.
"This year is a full go and I am going to play as many AVP tournaments as I can this year," DiPierro said. "I set a limit for myself as to what kind of ranking I need to get to not have to get a full-time job next year. I am hoping to get in the top 20 so I can support myself and my fiancé so I don't have to get a real job. My goal is to win an AVP tournament."

Lambert out of opener
By Soraya Nadia McDonald
VOLLEYBALL: Costa Mesa resident, Olympic hopeful, will sit out opener of AVP tour, beginning today in Miami.As the Assn. of Professionals Volleyball tour kicks off in Miami this weekend, it also marks the start of Olympic Watch 2008 for beach volleyball fans.
Two men’s teams angling for coveted spots on the U.S. Olympic beach volleyball team include Costa Mesa residents.
The top two men’s and women’s teams will compete at the Beijing Olympics in August.
Jake Gibb of Costa Mesa and his partner, Sean Rosenthal, are second in the points qualifying race, while Mike Lambert, also of Costa Mesa, and Stein Metzger are trailing in third.
2007 World Champions and AVP Crocs Cup champions Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser lead.
The battle to represent the U.S. has hardly been decided, so this season is likely to resemble last year’s, with AVP athletes making arduous overseas trips as they compete both domestically and abroad.
A knee injury is keeping Lambert confined to Costa Mesa this weekend. He and Metzger won’t make their season debut until the Huntington Beach Open, which starts May 1.
Lambert is sidelined as he rehabilitates a meniscus tear in his right knee, a lingering injury that first arose last season.
While the tour interruption was unwelcome for the duo, Lambert’s injury also puts a cramp in their already strained attempts to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.
Gibb and Rosenthal took fourth place at the Adelaide Australia Open, the first qualifying event of the year, when they lost to Dalhausser and Rogers. Australia gave Gibb and Rosenthal their eighth qualifying finish, and widened their points lead over Lambert and Metzger, who had planned to play Australia before Lambert’s knee problem resurfaced.
USA Volleyball selects two teams by analyzing each team’s best eight international finishes. The higher the finish, the better the points. Grand slam finishes are worth more than opens.
“We look at it as if it’s a tie ballgame,” Rosenthal said. “The Olympics is a crazy little run we have ... there’s just so much work ahead of us.”
In five FIVB events last season, Lambert and Metzger had three disappointing 17th-place finishes.
“We’re going to have to go and compete against those international teams,” Metzger said. “It’s going to come down to us against Jake and Rosie in who’s going to represent the U.S. and really, it means going up against some of these big European teams and Brazilian teams and performing.”
Lambert played through his knee problems last season and underwent corrective surgery in November when his doctor, Mission Viejo-based William Schobert, discovered cartilage was flaking off his knee. Schobert is the same doctor who treated current women’s world champion Misty May-Treanor and former AVP star Karch Kiraly, who retired last year at age 46.
“By Karch’s calendar, I’ve still got a good 10 years left,” said Lambert, 33.
Lambert went through rehabilitation, but the same problem recurred, and he had a second surgery in February.
He’s now recovering from the latest surgery with physical therapy, weight-lifting, and Bikram yoga.
“It certainly does not help our cause for the Olympics,” said Lambert, who is aiming to play six FIVB events this season as he and Metzger try to catch Gibb and Rosenthal. The team will start international play either May 6 at the Prague Open, or May 13 at the Italian Open.
Lambert knows he’s staring at a tall order, competing heavily on both tours and trying to make the Olympics.
“In Steino’s words, if we do qualify, we’ll be such lords,” Lambert said.
Metzger espoused the difficulties toward the end of the off-season.
“It’s extremely hard,” he said. “You’re flying back and forth across the Atlantic. You’re dead tired. You’re in a different time zone. You play some of these matches and all you want to do is go to sleep because of the time zone difference. You just have to force it, and that’s how you decide the Olympics, playing those kinds of matches.”
Still, the road to Beijing may be paved with a bit of scheming.
Lambert and Metzger plan to play in the Moscow Grand Slam, the last grand slam event before the July 20 cutoff date for Olympic qualifying. They elected to miss the Klagenfurt Grand Slam last year, where Rogers and Dalhausser and Gibb and Rosenthal both played, to play in the AVP’s Chicago Open.
This year, the Moscow Grand Slam is the same weekend as the AVP Boulder tournament. Lambert and Metzger are hoping Rogers and Dalhausser and Gibb and Rosenthal will skip Moscow, leaving Lambert and Metzger a (somewhat) clearer path to a high finish there.
“We’ll see if it pays off,” Lambert said. “It’s kind of a gamble. Those guys might decide to play anyway, and make us look dumb.”
For now, Lambert’s engine is stalling in Costa Mesa, waiting for his race to begin.
“I’ve just got to be patient,” Lambert said. “It feels like being in a pit stop at the beginning of the race instead of being in fifth gear. The Lamborghini’s parked right now so to speak. Got a full tank and a fresh wash job, but keys are not in the ignition yet. I’m catching the bus.”
Matt Fuerbringer, an Estancia High product, will also be competing on the AVP tour this year. He and longtime partner Casey Jennings split for the beginning of the 2007 season, but reunited and will continue playing together this year.
They won the Best of the Beach event last season in San Francisco, giving them the longest active streak with at least one victory in four straight seasons.
On the women’s side, two former Newport Harbor High Sailors are in the thick of the hunt for an Olympic bid as well.
May-Treanor, a 1995 graduate of Newport Harbor, and Kerri Walsh, defending world champions and Olympic gold medalists, have all but clinched a spot, having won seven of eight Federation Internationale de Volleyball qualifying events last year. They lead the American women’s teams in qualifying points, and are once again the favorites on the AVP tour.
It has given the team some breathing room and time to rest after a hectic 2007 international schedule.
“That was one of the main things Kerri and I were fighting for last year,” May-Treanor said. “We wanted the opportunity to qualify last year. Pacing yourself into the games is very important because it’s a lot of pressure to perform at a top level every time you’re out there.”
Unlike the 2004 and 2000 seasons, when May-Treanor was fighting injuries leading into the Athens and Sydney Olympics, this year, the tour’s winningest player is completely healthy.
May-Treanor tweaked her off-season training regimen after a three-day vacation in Phuket, Thailand following the Phuket Open.
“I’ve been feeling healthy, finally finding what works for my body as far as weights,” May-Treanor said. “I started Pilates to strengthen my core. Finding the right balance — it’s like any learning process. It’s trial and error through they years to see what works best for you, and I think I finally found the combination. I feel good.”
May-Treanor and Walsh were the 2007 Crocs Cup champions after winning 13 of 15 AVP tournaments last season.
Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branaugh, currently second, face stiff competition from April Ross, a 2000 graduate of Newport Harbor, and Jennifer Boss who are in third place, as well as Tyra Turner and Laguna Beach High product Rachel Wacholder.
Ross and Boss are starting the season with a new coach, former indoor Olympian Angela Rock.
“Getting fit, getting strong, making sure we last the whole season injury free,” Boss said. “We just needed someone to really push us into this year, and that’s what we’ve been focusing on.”
Youngs won the bronze in Athens with then-partner Holly McPeak, who is retiring from the AVP at the end of the season. McPeak will play her final season with Angie Akers.
Not only an international threat, Youngs and Branaugh found themselves battling May-Treanor and Walsh for AVP bragging rights last season. They stunned crowds in Miami when they defeated Ross and Boss in the season opener.
The Southern California AVP tour stops this season are: Huntington Beach (May 1-4); Hermosa Beach (June 6-8); Long Beach (July 25-27); San Diego (Aug. 1-3); Santa Barbara (Sept. 6-7) and Manhattan Beach (Sept. 19-21).

Jose Cuervo Announces 14 Olympic Hopefuls, Ranking Champions and Emerging Stars as Members of the 'New' 2008 Team Cuervo
World's Most Renowned Tequila Aims to Bring AVP Pro Beach Volleyball to New Heights
By Diageo
MIAMI, April 11 --In a move that marks its commitment to elevating the sport of professional beach volleyball, Jose Cuervo, the world's largest producer of Tequila, today announced its sponsorship of 14 top AVP world-class athletes -- collectively known as "Team Cuervo." Through its expanded partnership, the brand aims to increase exposure of professional beach volleyball, the AVP's world-class athletes and the sport's all-encompassing lifestyle.
"Cuervo is committed to helping these incredible AVP athletes succeed. We were so pleased with last season's results that we expanded this year's program," said Toby Whitmoyer, Brand Director, Jose Cuervo. "Sponsorship means more to the brand than providing the athletes with financial assistance. We intend to support Team Cuervo with the guidance and tools to achieve the goals they have each set out for themselves in 2008."
Team Cuervo's 2008 roster consists of top AVP players that embody Jose Cuervo's personality, commitment to promoting responsible drinking, and exciting lifestyle on and off the volleyball court. This season's Team Cuervo consists of not only established beach volleyball professionals, but players that are on the cusp of greatness and continue to demonstrate potential and dedication to the sport, including:
    -- Olympic hopefuls Jen Boss and April Ross (2006 Rookie of the Year)
    -- David Fischer, who travels to every tournament in his Jose Cuervo
       Volley Trolley  (http://www.jackanddave.multiply.com)
    -- Michelle More and Suzanne Stonebarger -- known as "Team Gorgeous," both
       women are veterans of Team Cuervo
    -- Olympic hopefuls Casey Jennings, a crowd favorite and veteran Team
       Cuervo member known for his playing enthusiasm, and Matt Fuerbringer
    -- 2002 AVP Rookie of the Year Angie Akers and partner Brooke Hanson
    -- Volleyball stars Hans Stolfus and Ty Loomis, recently named one of
       Men's Fitness Top 25 Fittest Athletes
    -- Aaron Wachtfogel and former Olympian Mark Williams
    -- Passionate up-and-comer Ryan Mariano
"The AVP and Jose Cuervo are more than just a sport and Tequila -- they represent lifestyles, and Team Cuervo's members are ambassadors to that culture," Whitmoyer added. "As such, Team Cuervo will also be reminding fans that no matter where life's excitement may take them, they should always drink and live responsibly."
The brand first entered into formal sponsorship of four AVP athletes during the 2007 season. Michelle More and Suzanne Stonebarger, collectively known as "Team Gorgeous" as well as crowd favorites Casey Jennings and Mark Williams serve as the team's veteran members. Jose Cuervo has been involved with the sport since 1978 and became one of professional volleyball's first corporate sponsors in 1988. Its dedication has helped build the sport into the popular spectator game it is today. The brand became a title sponsor of The Cuervo Gold Crown in 2006. The series consists of three competitive AVP tournaments, which as a group, offer a higher payout than any other tournament on the Tour. The Cuervo Gold Crown events are the first three tournaments this season scheduled to take place in Miami (April 11-13), Dallas (April 18-20) and Huntington Beach (May 2-4).
About Jose Cuervo
Jose Cuervo is the largest producer of Tequila throughout Mexico and around the world. The Jose Cuervo portfolio of Tequilas includes Jose Cuervo Especial, the world's best-selling Tequila, Jose Cuervo Clasico, Jose Cuervo Black Medallion, Jose Cuervo Tradicional, Jose Cuervo Platino, Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia, Jose Cuervo Golden Margarita, Authentic Jose Cuervo Margaritas and Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix. For more information, visit http://www.cuervo.com.
Jose Cuervo Tequilas are imported and marketed in the United States by Diageo North America, a subsidiary of Diageo PLC. Based in London, Diageo PLC is the world's leading spirits and wine company and is traded on the NYSE under the symbol DEO. For more information, visit http://www.diageo.com.

Top players ready for 2008 debuts
Dalhausser-Rogers, Misty-Kerry return as top seeds
By Walter Villa / Special to avp.com
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Now that the qualifiers are over, the AVP Tour's big stars are ready to make their 2008 debuts Friday morning on world-famous South Beach.
The top-seeded men are Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers, who won last year's Miami Open, played at Bicentennial Park.
Other top men's seeds ready to play on Friday include the No. 2 pairing of John Hyden-Brad Keenan, No. 3 Jake Gibb-Sean Rosenthal, No. 4 Anthony Medel-Fred Souza, No. 5 Matt Fuerbringer-Casey Jennings, No. 6 Nick Lucena-Sean Scott, No. 7 Aaron Wachtfogel-Mark Williams and No. 8 Ty Loomis-Hans Stolfus.
Hyden, by the way, won the God of the Beach title last year.
Dalhausser was named the AVP Tour's Most Valuable Player last season. Rogers and Rosenthal tied for top honors on defense, and Dalhausser was the best on offense. Billy Strickland won Rookie of the Year, and Keenan was named Most Improved.
Strickland will play with veteran Dax Holdren this weekend on a team that is seeded ninth. They will play qualifiers Mark and Steve Van Zwieten in their first match.
But the team to beat is still Dalhausser-Rogers, who last year won a league-best 10 AVP events. They were named the tour's top team in an obvious selection.
Just as obvious was the selection of 2004 Olympic champions and No. 1 seed Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh as the top team in the AVP last season.
After losing in the Miami season-opener to Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh, May-Treanor and Walsh rattled off a remarkable eight straight AVP Tour wins. They finished with 13 wins in 17 team events, never losing two weeks in a row.
May-Treanor was named the AVP's Most Valuable Player for the third year in a row and also claimed top honors on offense and defense.
April Ross, who was named the AVP's Most Improved Player, will team with Jennifer Boss this weekend as the No. 4 seed.
Branagh and Youngs, who won three AVP Tour events last season, are the wise choice as the No. 2 seed in Miami. Youngs also won the Goddess of the Beach title in Las Vegas in September.
The No. 3 seed is the pairing of Tyra Turner-Rachel Wacholder, which is always in contention.
Jenny Johnson Jordan and Annett Davis, who won in Chicago last August, are the fifth seed.
Veteran Holly McPeak is back again, this time seeded sixth and paired with Angie Akers. Carrie Dodd and Tatiana Minello are seeded seventh, and the eighth seed is the Lindquist sisters — Tracy and Katie.
Jenny Kropp, the 2007 AVP Rookie of the Year, has paired with Nancy Mason on the ninth-seeded team. They will play qualifiers Erin Byrd and Stephanie Chapek in the first round on Friday.

Parity keeps men's beach volleyball interesting
Competitive men's field hard to predict
By SHARON ROBB | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
April 12, 2008
MIAMI BEACH - While Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh continue to dominate women's pro beach volleyball, parity is the name of the game on the men's tour.
On any given weekend, the men's tour could have a different winner at every tournament site including this weekend's season-opening $200,000 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open at Lummus Park.
While Orlando-born Phil Dalhausser, of Santa Barbara, Calif., and his partner Todd Rogers, of Solvang, Calif., are No. 1 seeds, there is more suspense with the men's brackets than the women's.
"Misty and Kerri are such an amazing phenomenon that they are the face of pro beach volleyball," said Team Cuervo's Ryan Mariano, who with partner Ed Ratledge won Friday in the opening round of the main draw before being eliminated.
Mariano is starting his fourth season on the pro tour.
"On the men's side the difference with having such huge parity is that it brings such a huge attraction," Mariano said. "People are 90 percent sure Misty and Kerri are going to win but on the men's side you could have the 24th seed make it to the semifinals. That kind of parity brings an intense fan base and connection with fans.
"There's not a tournament on the AVP that isn't incredibly competitive on the men's side."
Said David Fischer, a 10th-year pro who travels to every tournament in his Jose Cuervo Volley Trolley, "I think the parity on the men's side is a great thing for volleyball fans and men's players because we're out there feeling we've got a chance because we don't have to play Misty and Kerri. They'd beat us.
"People just have to get to know the Ryans and Phils. We are worth knowing."
Western alum Nick Lucena was the lone local to advance Friday. Lucena and new partner Sean Scott, the No. 6 seeds, defeated Mariano and Ratledge 21-18, 21-17.
St. Thomas Aquinas boys' volleyball coach Mike DiPierro, of Pompano Beach, and brothers Mark and Steve Van Zwieten, also of Pompano Beach, were eliminated.
DiPierro and Mike Morrison were eliminated by Russ Marchewka and Mike Placek, the No. 1-seeded qualifiers, 21-19, 21-17 in 53 minutes. The Van Zwietens lost their opening-round match to veterans Dax Holdren and Will Strickland 21-14, 21-13 in 43 minutes.
May-Treanor and Walsh easily advanced into today's action with a 21-11, 21-14 victory over Brooke Langston and Julie Romias.
Elsewhere
What many think will be the next big thing in beach volleyball to help cultivate the talent pool and create even more parity is the inaugural Southeastern Conference Coaches Beach Volleyball Championships that will be held today at University of Florida.
It is the first beach volleyball tournament held by a Division I conference.
Participating schools will compete for the Commissioners Cup, which will be awarded to the team that earns the most points in pool play. Teams are guaranteed a minimum of eight sets or four matches. Christina Diaz, of Hollywood, is a member of the Gators team.

Four local teams advance in AVP season opener
Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh cruised through the first day of competition at the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals season opener Friday in Miami.
May-Treanor, a Newport Harbor alum, and Walsh beat Brooke Langston and Julie Romias, 21-14, 21-11.
Jake Gibb of Costa Mesa and Sean Rosenthal defeated Russ Marchewka of Costa Mesa and Mike Placek, 21-15, 21-13.
Marchewka and Placek will continue playing in the losers’ bracker today.
Estancia grad Matt Fuerbringer and Casey Jennings defeated Joe Cash and Justin Phipps 21-12, 21-13.

Beach Girlz bring music, fun to tour
New all-girl pop group will visit all 18 AVP Tour stops
By Walter Villa / Special to avp.com
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Hot weather, hot athletes and now ... a hot new all-girl pop group.
The Beach Girlz will make their debut Saturday between noon and 4 p.m. at the AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Crocs Tour Miami Open on South Beach.
The five young women -- two blondes and three brunettes -- who make up the group were selected from auditions in Los Angeles. They are:
• Brooke Adams from Fort Worth, Texas.
• Dominique Domingo from San Diego, Calif.
• Mandy Jiroux from Phoenix, Ariz.
• Laura New from Sydney, Australia.
• Noreen Juliano from Sunnyvale, Calif.
The girls, who met just four weeks ago, are excited about the opportunity to perform Saturday and again Sunday as part of the AVP Tour.
"We have been rehearsing a lot for the past two-and-a-half weeks," New said. "We feel very fortunate to be a part of this. We are hoping it can be a stepping stone."
The group will travel to each of the AVP Tour's 18 events this season, giving them great national exposure.
"New York, San Diego -- we are excited to go everywhere," Domingo said. "I think we get to go to every girl's home state except for Laura, who is from Australia. I think we are going to have a blast because it is music that kids and adults can enjoy."
The Girlz have already recorded two songs. One is called "This Is The Life", and the other is a remake of the Beach Boys classic "Good Vibrations."
"It's similar to the Beach Boys, but we're the Beach Girlz now, the new generation," New said. "It has a bit of a rap sequence, and we've made it into our own style."
Jiroux said that the newly formed group is getting along great.
"I'd like to see us grow together as singers and dancers and performers," she said. "We are all so different, but everyone gets a chance to shine. We all have unique qualities."

Walsh, May-Treanor primed for run
Top-ranked women's duo healthy, fit in 2008
By Walter Villa / Special to avp.com
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- If opponents thought that the world's top-ranked women's pro beach volleyball team was tough last year, wait until they find out that the dynamic duo feels healthier than ever this season.
Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor, who won an Olympic gold medal for the United States in 2004, are the favorites to repeat as champs. That's especially true now that Walsh has had her shoulder repaired for the third time in her great career.
"Finally, it feels real good," Walsh said. "The last surgery was nine years ago, and it was not a great operation. But now I feel real good. Usually after surgery, you feel sore. But this time, I just felt relieved, almost like I can finally breathe again."
Brooke Langston and Julie Romias, seeded 17th, did not feel quite so good after they were dismissed, 21-11, 21-14, by Walsh and May-Treanor in the second day of the AVP Gold Crown Miami Open. The match took just 34 minutes and was never in doubt.
"We're just trying to get our timing back," said Walsh, who had not played a competitive match since just before her November surgery. "Even though we have been training since January, competing is way different than practice and lifting weights."
Walsh and May-Treanor will start Saturday's competition against the sister team of Tracy and Katie Lindquist, seeded 8th.
And May-Treanor, who was named the AVP Tour's 2007 Most Valuable Player for the third straight year, said she is confident in her team.
"We've been together for such a long time," she said. "We're one of the few teams who have stuck it out. I couldn't have picked a better teammate, and hopefully she feels the same way."
Walsh nodded in agreement as May-Treanor spoke, knowing that the pairing is already considered perhaps the greatest in the history of the sport -- even though they have plenty of time to accomplish even more.
And with this being an Olympic year, Walsh was asked if peaking for the Olympics in August in Beijing, China is the ultimate goal.
"I'm not sure I understand the concept of peaking," Walsh said. "I just think we don't want to burn out, which I think is impossible because we are so excited. Every tournament is a step toward Beijing, and we want to kick ass there."
May-Treanor said her offseason was less eventful than Walsh's -- but it was still intense.
"My offseason was three days in Thailand," May-Treanor said. "Then it was back to the gym because you have to stay one step ahead of the competition."
Both women said they are excited to kick the season off in Miami.
"We're in South Beach -- woo hoo," May-Treanor yelled enthusiastically. "I know Kerri is excited because the shopping is great. The sun, the fun, the sand, the heat ... Miami is hot in more ways than one."
The competition figures to get heated as well, especially after a couple of mild upsets in the women's competition on Friday:
• Tenth-seeded Ashley Ivy and Heather Lowe defeated No. 7 Carrie Dodd and Tatiana Minello, 16-21, 21-17, 15-13, in a one-hour, five-minute thriller.
• Sara Dukes and Chrissie Zartman, seeded 20th, beat No. 14 Alicia Polzin and Janelle Ruen, 16-21, 21-14, 23-21, in another great match that lasted 1:11.
• No. 19 Whitney Pavlik and Jennifer Snyder outlasted 13th-seeded Michelle More and Suzanne Stonebarger, 21-19, 17-21, 15-12, in one hour, 13 minutes.
Some top women's matches to watch today include No. 4 Jennifer Boss and April Ross vs. No. 5 Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan; No. 3 Tyra Turner and Rachel Wacholder vs. No. 6 Angie Akers and Holly McPeak; and No. 2 Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh vs. No. 10 Ashley Ivy and Heather Lowe.
There were no major surprises on the men's side on Friday. But Saturday's matches will pit some heavyweights against each other.
Among the matches to look for on Saturday are top-seeded Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers vs. No. 8 Ty Loomis and Hans Stolfus; and No. 2 John Hyden and Brad Keenan vs. No. 7 Mark Williams and Aaron Wachtfogel.
Two other key matches are No. 3 Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal vs. No. 6 Nick Lucena and Sean Scott; and No. 4 Fred Souza and Anthony Medel vs. No. 5 Matt Fuerbringer and Casey Jennings.

Rogers, Dalhausser advance to semis
Top seeds cruising in Gold Crown Miami Open
Walter Villa / AVP.com
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Their main focus is on Beijing, but they are still doing well in Miami.
Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser, already assured of being the top-seeded American team in this summer's Olympic games in Beijing, China, advanced to Sunday's semifinals by winning a pair of hard-fought, three-set matches at the AVP Gold Crown Miami Open.
"We're just trying to cruise right now and then peak at the Olympics," said Dalhausser, whose powerful spikes and demoralizing blocks helped earn him the AVP Tour's Most Valuable Player award last season. "We would like to win this tournament, but it is not as important to us as the Olympics."
Those comments might have fooled eighth-seeded Ty Loomis and Hans Stolfus, who watched Dalhausser and Rogers battle for a 21-14, 18-21, 15-11 victory in a third-round match that lasted one hour, 14 minutes. Loomis played especially well, but after forcing a 4-4 tie in the deciding set, Dalhausser and Rogers took over.
"They played great," Dalhausser said of his opponents. "They jump-served well."
Rogers, who was named the AVP Tour's Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2007, was less than satisfied with his team.
"We struggled to pass," he said. "Phil's passing wasn't great, and mine was atrocious. That was killing us more than anything. If we pass better, I don't think we have a problem."
The top seeds struggled again in the fourth round before beating No. 4 Anthony Medel and Fred Souza, 19-21, 21-15, 15-11, in one hour, 11 minutes.
"I don't expect to be playing at our best right now," Rogers said of the AVP's season-opener. "It's such a long season. For us, the key is being patient, not getting frustrated when we play like this."
Rogers and Dalhausser said they will play the AVP Dallas event next week and then take a weekend off. After that, they will compete in a tournament every weekend -- straight through to the Olympics in August.
Rogers said his team will miss certain AVP stops -- Charleston, S.C., Belmar, N.J. and Boulder, Colo. -- to play FIVB Grand Slam events internationally. Among the countries they will play in this summer are Russia, Italy and the Czech Republic.
"Those Grand Slams are big for seeding," Rogers explained. "Our goal is to get a top-three seeding in the Olympics. And if we did not play those events, other teams could pass us."
Dalhausser said he rates Brazil as the favorite to win the gold medal in men's beach volleyball, and he considers the United States, Russia, Germany and China strong contenders.
"If someone were to ask me which is the best team in the world, I would say Ricardo [Santos] and Emanuel [Rego] of Brazil," Dalhuasser said. "They are the reigning gold medalists and the best team in the world for the past five years."
Dalhausser added that Brazil has the No. 1, 2, 4 and 5 teams, but only two can qualify for the Olympics. He also said that he figures Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal will be the second American pair to make the trip to China.
Dalhausser also spoke highly of the home nation's talent.
"China has an unbelievable big and athletic team," he said.
Rogers, though, said he is ready for the challenge.
"It's the dream of just about anybody to go to the Olympics, and we've already punched our ticket," he said. "Now it is a matter of polishing our game slowly but surely so we can go for the gold."
Rogers, who has been to China once previously, said the biggest adjustment may be in coping with the pollution.
"I don't think it will affect us too badly because I don't have any respiratory problems and neither does Phil," Rogers said. "We'll probably be outside two or three hours [per day] max. If it gets really bad, we may just have to focus on being inside."
Dalhausser, who has never been to China, has a different idea. He wants the full Olympic experience.
"I want to see Beijing," he said. "Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall of China. ... I also want to watch some of the other sports. I want to see the sprinters, see how fast they are. I hear handball is super exciting.
"I might never play in another Olympics so I might as well take advantage."

Lucena making most of homecoming
Fort Lauderdale native in semis of Miami Open
By Walter Villa / Special to avp.com
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — It's already been a great homecoming for Nick Lucena, and it could get even better on Sunday.
Lucena, 28, is a native of Fort Lauderdale, just half and hour from world-famous South Beach, where this weekend's AVP Gold Crown Miami Open is being held.
On Saturday, Lucena and Sean Scott, the sixth-seeded team, upset No. 3 Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal, 23-21, 17-21, 15-12. It was a huge victory considering the fact that Rosenthal was the AVP's Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2007, and he teamed with Gibb to make nine AVP finals last year, winning twice.
But even after that upset, Lucena and Scott were not done. They finished their super Saturday by knocking off second-seeded John Hyden and Brad Keenan, 21-14, 21-17. Keenan was the AVP Tour's Most Improved Player in 2007, and Hyden was named the "God of the Beach" by virtue of his win last season in Las Vegas.
Hyden and Keenan, who started their partnership in the third event of the 2007 season, entered the match vs. Lucena and Scott in great spirits, fresh off a big win over seventh-seeded Mark Williams and Aaron Wachtfogel, 18-21, 21-17, 17-15.
"Having a whole offseason helps us a lot," Keenan said. "I've been learning a lot from John. Our goal is to win a couple of tournaments this year. We got to a final last year and a bunch of semis. Now we have to take the next step."
That is still possible if Keenan and Hyden can battle back from the contender's bracket. But Lucena, who stands 6-foot-1, and the 34-year-old Scott, who stands 6-foot-5, are in a better spot.
Lucena figures to be popular with the fans Sunday because of his ties within the state. His sister is a former soccer player at Florida Atlantic University, and Nick graduated from Florida State with a degree in sports management.
Hyden and Keenan will have a chance to battle back Sunday if they can knock off fifth-seeded Matt Fuerbringer and Casey Jennings.
"Everybody is a bit out of sorts in the first tournament of the year," Hyden said. "As much as you can practice in the offseason, it's still going to be a little different when you play a tournament. Getting those first few matches under our belt really helps."
Hyden said he was also pleased with his teammate's progress.
"Brad is getting better and better at blocking," Hyden said. "He is becoming a beach blocker. There are so many aspects to blocking, but he has never really been taught on the beach. I've been helping him out, and he's really learning. And he's really learning on his own, too. There are certain things I can't teach him, and you have to be able to see out there."
Meanwhile, Gibb and Rosenthal — the other victims of Lucena and Scott's Saturday run — can rally if they can get past fourth-seeded Anthony Medel and Fred Souza on Sunday.
On the women's side, there were no major upsets as the top two seeds have already secured spots in the semifinals. Top-seeded Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh lost their first set of the tournament but rallied to whip No. 4 Jennifer Boss and April Ross, 18-21, 21-14, 15-8.
Second-seeded Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh outlasted No. 3 Tyra Turner and Rachel Wacholder, 21-17, 21-16.
In a battle of two new teams, No. 6 Angie Akers and Holly McPeak defeated No. 9 Jenny Kropp and Nancy Mason, 21-13, 21-18. Akers and McPeak then topped No. 10 Ashley Ivy and Heather Lowe, 21-15, 19-21, 15-10, in a thriller.
In Sunday's contenders' bracket, Akers and McPeak will challenge Boss and Ross, and Turner/Wacholder will take on No. 5 Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan.
Turner and Wacholder, who are among the favorites to join Walsh and May-Treanor as the American women at this summer's Olympics, are hoping for a strong summer, starting with Sunday.
"I think our chances of making the Olympics are great," Turner said. "Rach and I are working with a new coach, Kerri Pottharst, [a native of Australia and an Olympics gold medalist in beach volleyball]."
Turner and Wacholder both played in the AVP Tour's Hot Winter Nights Tour and then spent six weeks training in Australia with Pottharst.
"It was not much of an offseason [in terms of rest]," Turner said. "We had a brief Christmas break with family for a couple of weeks, and that's it."

Top seeds advance to Miami semifinals
May-Treanor, Walsh in contention for Miami title
AVP Press Release
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — The top-seeded teams of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, and Phil Dalhausser-Todd Rogers successfully continued their quests Saturday to open the 2008 AVP Crocs Tour season with victories, as both advanced easily into Sunday's semifinals.
Second-seeded Elaine Young and Nicole Branagh — the defending Miami Open women's champions — moved into the other women's semifinal, while the sixth-seeded team of Nick Lucena and Sean Scott was a surprise entrant in the other men's semifinal.
The men's final will be played Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on center court, and the women's final will follow at 5 p.m.
May-Treanor and Walsh eased past Katie Lindquist and Tracy Lindquist, 21-9, 21-8, in their first match Saturday. In their next match, against Jennifer Boss and April Ross, they lost the first game, 18-21, but bounced back with wins of 21-14, 15-8, to advance to the semis.
Young and Branagh swept both their matches, beating Ashley Ivey and Heather Lowe, 21-16, 21-13, then rolling past Tyra Turner and Rachel Wacholder, 21-17, 21-16.
Dalhausser and Rogers, the defending men's Miami Open champions, beat Ty Loomis and Hans Stolfus, 21-14, 18-21, 15-11, in their first match Saturday. In their next match, they advanced to the semifinals by edging Anthony Medel and Fred Souza, 19-21, 21-15, 15-11.
The surprise team of the tournament, Lucena and Scott managed two upsets Saturday. They opened the day with a 23-21, 17-21, 15-12 win over third-seeded Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal. They then topped that feat by upending second-seeded John Hyden and Brad Keenan, 21-14, 21-17

Boss, Ross undeterred by loss at AVP event
With the Olympics looming, losing in the Miami Open barely bothers teammates Jen Boss and April Ross.
Posted on Sun, Apr. 13, 2008
BY ANDY KENT
Special to The Miami Herald
Should the high-powered women's beach volleyball team of Jen Boss and April Ross attain its goal of representing the United States in this summer's Beijing Olympics, they will be dealing with far different conditions from the ones they are seeing this weekend in South Beach.
Boss and Ross have enjoyed clear blue skies and an ever-changing ocean breeze during the 2008 AVP CROCS Tour $200,000 Cuervo Gold Miami Open. They fought that stiff wind and heat, as well as the athletic team of Annette Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan, in their first match Saturday morning, coming from behind to win 16-21, 24-22, 15-13.
Their reward was a meeting with top-seeded Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh in the early afternoon, and they took the first game 21-18 before losing the next two 14-21, 8-15. That was Boss and Ross' first loss of the double-elimination tournament, so they will try to work their way out of the contender's bracket Sunday and continue to challenge for one of the two U.S. Olympic berths.
''Every match is practice for the Olympics and for Olympic qualifying,'' said Boss, 25, who led USC to back-to-back NCAA indoor national championships in 2002 and 2003.
``We've trained really hard in the offseason, mainly for the Olympics, and we're hoping it transitions to the AVP too, which we feel that it will. But we're just worried about becoming better volleyball players, and that can only help us in the Olympic qualifying process.''
The big concerns for Boss, Ross, May-Treanor, Walsh and the men hoping to compete in Beijing are the air pollution and the stifling humidity. Beach volleyball legend Karch Kiraly, who will be NBC's color analyst for the Games, said his producer told him he couldn't see the ground from the seventh floor of the NBC crew's hotel.
''I heard they're going to try to seed the clouds and make it rain to clean the air and I don't know what else,'' said Kiraly, who retired from playing on the beach last year.
``The political climate also is a concern, but I don't think the Chinese are going to allow any protests or anything like that.''
Scheduling conflicts between the AVP events and the Olympic qualifiers cannot be avoided, but Boss is focused on her goal of experiencing the Olympics. Having teamed with Ross to upset May-Treanor and Walsh in the semifinals of this event last year, she isn't worried about how missing some AVP events might affect their tour standing.
''You're probably not going to be that bummed that you missed an event because you went to the Olympics,'' Boss, 30, said.
``We want to say that we did everything that we could to get there.''

Olympic Games raise stakes at Miami Open
By SHARON ROBB | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
April 13, 2008
MIAMI BEACH - A year ago, Jennifer Boss was playing her first full year in the main draw of the AVP beach volleyball tour just to make enough money to go back to college.
But everything changed in the Olympic year.
"That's all I wanted to do was make money for college," said Boss, the No. 4 seed in the $200,000 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open that ends today at Lummus Park.
"I have done that, I make a living doing this and I don't want to quit now. Why would I do anything else? Everyone says that, but it's true."
The tournament's top seeds, Misty May-Treanor of Coral Springs and Kerri Walsh of Hermosa Beach, Calif., and Phil Dalhausser of Santa Barbara, Calif., and Todd Rogers of Solvang, Calif., who all advanced into today's semifinals, are a lock for Beijing.
Boss, of San Clemente, Calif., and her partner April Ross, of Costa Mesa, Calif., are among a handful of Olympic hopefuls making a run at the Beijing Games. They are currently third in FIVB point standings behind Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh for the second spot on the U.S. team.
"It's very possible we could take that second spot … we have a couple of tournaments to do that," said Boss, who plans to play five or six more FIVB tournaments.
"Everybody is really into the Olympics and the fact that beach volleyball is one of the most popular sports at the Olympics makes everyone a little bit more interested in the sport this year," Boss said.
"For us, it's so exciting and there is so much pressure at the same time. There is definitely a heightened level around the Olympic year."
Boss is one of the fastest rising players on the tour. After playing qualifiers two years ago, she competed in the main draw last year.
"I never in a million years expected to be in contention for this year's Olympics," Boss said. "It didn't happen until last June when we won a grand slam in Norway that we thought we didn't even have a chance to win. We were thinking it might not work out for us this year, but all of a sudden we moved up into the third spot.
"It's been surprising and still sinking in a little bit, but we are definitely on the top of things and doing our best to get to the Olympics," Boss said. "Misty and Kerri raised the awareness of the sport by themselves. … The Olympics take it a step farther."
On Saturday, May-Treanor and Walsh lost their opening game to Boss and Ross 21-18, but the top seeds ended up bouncing back to win 21-14, 15-8 to advance into today's semifinals.
"Misty and Kerri aren't untouchable," Boss said. "The women players are gaining ground and definitely hopeful for the future."
Boss and Ross dropped into the contenders bracket and will play veteran Holly McPeak, who has already announced her retirement after this season, and Angie Akers.
Youngs and Branagh, the defending Miami Open women's champions, moved into the other women's semifinal with a victory over Tyra Turner of Fort Myers and Rachel Wacholder 21-17, 21-16.
Dalhausser and Rogers, the defending men's Miami Open champions, beat Ty Loomis and Hans Stolfus 21-14, 18-21, 15-11 in their first match and got past Anthony Medel and Fred Souza 19-21, 21-15, 15-11 to advance into today's men's semifinals.
The biggest surprise of the tournament is Western alum Nick Lucena, "pumped" to be playing in front of his hometown crowd. Lucena and his new partner Sean Scott, the No. 6 seeds, advanced into today's semifinals after two impressive upsets.
Lucena and Scott opened with a 23-21, 17-21, 15-12 win over third-seeded Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal and then came back to knock off second-seeded John Hyden and Brad Keenan 21-14, 21-17.
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May-Treanor, Walsh advance top AVP semifinal
The top-seeded team of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh moved in the women’s semifinal of the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals Miami Open Saturday after several easy wins.
May-Treanor and Walsh defeated Katie Lindquist and Tracy Lindquist, 21-9, 21-8, in their first match Saturday. Then May-Treanor faced off with April Ross (the two share alma mater Newport Harbor) and Jennifer Boss.
The defending Crocs Cup champions lost the first game, 18-21, but bounced back, 21-14, 15-8, to advance to the semifinals today.
Second-seeded Elaine Young and Nicole Branagh, the defending Miami Open women’s champions, moved into the other women’s semifinal. Young and Branagh swept both their matches. They defeated Ashley Ivey and Heather Lowe, 21-16, 21-13, then took Tyra Turner and Rachel Wacholder, 21-17, 21-16.
Ross and Boss, who beat Annette Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan, 16-21, 24-22 in their first Saturday match, will play Angie Akers and Holly McPeak in the women’s quarterfinal today.
Sixth-seeded Nick Lucena and Sean Scott were a surprise entrant in the men’s semifinal. They upset third-seeded Jake Gibb of Costa Mesa and Sean Rosenthal, 23-21, 17-21, 15-12. Lucena followed that win with a victory over second-seeded John Hyden and Brad Keenan, winning, 21-14, 21-17.
Top-seeded Phil Dalhausser-Todd Rogers, the defending men’s Miami Open champions, took the spot in the other men’s semifinal. They beat Ty Loomis and Hans Stolfus, 21-14, 18-21, 15-11, in their first match, then Anthony Medel and Fred Souza, 19-21, 21-15, 15-11.
Gibb and Rosenthal will play Medel and Souza in the men’s quarterfinal, while Matt Fuerbringer, an Estancia product, and Casy Jennings will battle Hyden and Keenan.
After the surprise loss to Lucena and Scott, Gibb and Rosenthal beat Pedro Brazao and Jose Loiola, 21-14, 21-10, and Jeff Carlucci and John Mayer, 21-12, 21-15, in the losers’ bracket.
Playing in the losers’ bracket, Fuerbringer and Jennings defeated John Moran and Casey Patterson 21-15, 21-14 in their first Saturday match. They beat Loomis and Stolfus in the second match 21-16, 21-18.

Hectic year for budding Kropp
Former Rookie of the Year achieving full potential
By Walter Villa / Special to avp.com
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Jenny Kropp has already gone through some major changes in 2008. On the court, she has found a new teammate. Off the court, she has locked in her partner for life.
Kropp, 28, the AVP's 2007 Rookie of the Year, is now playing with Nancy Mason, 37.
"I really like it," said Kropp, a standout blocker at 6-foot-2. "Nancy is one of the best players on the tour. She is a veteran who knows a lot. I get to learn from her. I just hope she is patient because I have a lot to learn. But I think our potential is unlimited."
Kropp and Mason showed some of that potential this weekend in the AVP Gold Crown Miami Open. But they also showed that the team has room for improvement.
Seeded ninth, Kropp and Mason started the tournament by defeating qualifiers Erin Byrd and Stephanie Chapek, 21-17, 22-20, in a surprisingly tough match.
Sisters Katie and Tracy Lindquist, seeded eighth, beat Kropp and Mason, 21-11, 21-16. But the new duo then won two straight in the contender's bracket, eliminating qualifiers Kealani Kimball and Rosalinda Masler, 21-13, 21-15, and knocking off No. 18 Angela Knopf and Saralyn Smithk, 21-15, 18-21, 15-10.
But the Kropp-Mason run ended with a 21-13, 21-18, loss to veterans Holly McPeak and Angie Akers, seeded sixth.
"It's slowly coming," Kropp said of her new alliance with Mason. "It's just going to take some time."
Kropp said she practiced with Mason for about a month this past offseason before they decided to become a team.
"Nancy plays great defense," Kropp said. "She gets to a lot of balls."
Kropp, though, underplays her own skills. Besides taking the top rookie award, she also won two events on the AVP's new Hot Winter Nights Tour earlier this year. Kropp won in Chicago and also in her home state of Nebraska.
And that might have been the highlight of her offseason had it not been for what happened on March 21. That is when she married Adam Goess, a sales manager for Cintax.
Their honeymoon?
"This is it, Miami," she said with a laugh. "We didn't have time for anything else, but we'll do something after the season."
Kropp said her husband is a huge volleyball fan and a big boost to her life.
"It feels more committed," she said of being married. "It feels like, hey, this is for life."

Top seeds win AVP season opener
Lucena, among others surprise in Miami
Walter Villa / AVP.com
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- The top-seeded men's and women's teams won the AVP Tour's season opener on Sunday. But champions Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers on the men's side and Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh for the women were not the only big stories.
Second-seeded Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh were just two points away from the upset and the women's championship before the top seeds prevailed, 21-15, 17-21, 15-13, in the AVP Gold Crown Miami Open.
There was also sixth-seeded Sean Scott and Nick Lucena, who shocked many by making it to the men's final in their first ever AVP event together. Dalhausser and Rogers beat them, 21-14, 21-13, but that did not diminish the challengers' accomplishment.
Want more drama?
Lucena, who is from Fort Lauderdale, was playing before his hometown crowd and is the former teammate of Dalhausser. And Scott was once Rogers' partner.
"I never doubted Nick," Dalhausser said. "He is probably the best athlete on the tour."
When Rogers volunteered Sean Rosenthal as perhaps the best athlete on tour, Dalhausser said he would bet that Lucena was quicker. Ultimately, Dalhausser and Rogers agreed that Lucena is in the top two at least.
Lucena was also quick to praise Dalhausser, the AVP Tour's Most Valuable Player last season.
"Phil is a dominant player," he said. "Everyone is trying to get to his level. We had to play perfectly to beat them, and we couldn't get there."
In the semifinals earlier on Sunday, Lucena and Scott upset fourth-seeded Fred Souza and Anthony Medel, 21-11, 21-17.
It was the third straight match in which Lucena and Scott had knocked off a higher seed. The other victims were No. 3 Rosenthal and Jake Gibb; and No. 2 John Hyden and Brad Keenan.
After beating Souza and Medel, Lucena celebrated by sprinting off the court, hurdling a two-foot barrier and running straight to the ocean, where he took a dip to cool off and "gather my thoughts."
Scott was not surprised by his exuberant teammate.
"Nick is a fiery guy," said Scott, a 6'5 blaster from Hawaii who has won five AVP events in his career, four of them with Rogers. "He plays with emotion. And I don't think anyone worked harder than him in the offseason. He got stronger -- from 173 pounds to 184 -- and he wanted to prove that he is a damn good player."
Point proven.
Lucena, who went to Western High in the Fort Lauderdale area and graduated from Florida State University, said he has been searching for an experienced blocker to play with ever since splitting with Dalhausser, who was his partner when he won an AVP event in Austin, Texas in 2005.
"I've been nagging Sean to play with me for three years," Lucena said, "and he finally gave me the opportunity."
Looks like this pairing will be around for some time. And while Lucena said that reaching the final in his home area was something he had dreamed of for years, May-Treanor and Walsh have their own goal -- and it is historic.
The top-seeded women want to be the first athletes to ever repeat as Olympics champions in beach volleyball.
Winning in Miami is a great start to what they hope is a huge year. They also avenged the loss they suffered in Miami last season, when Youngs and Branagh beat them in the semifinals.
"You were looking at what could be a gold-medal match for the Olympics," May-Treanor said of the rivalry vs. Youngs and Branagh. "That would be fun -- two USA teams."
The Miami Open was also important for Walsh, since it was her first tournament since she had offseason surgery. Walsh was not available to the media after the match because she had to race to catch a flight, but May-Treanor said the first test has been passed.
"A lot of teams had a tournament under their belt in Australia," said May-Treanor, who lives in near-by Coral Springs, Fl. "So it was good to get this one."
For Youngs and Branagh, it was a heartbreaking loss given that they were so close to winning the title -- just those two points away. But Walsh came up with a huge block to set up game point, and May-Treanor had a big dig and the put-away spike to win the match.
"We wouldn't like it to be that close," May-Treanor said. "But we'll take it."
May-Treanor and Walsh split the $20,000 winners' check. The same goes for Rogers and Dalhausser. The runners-up split $15,000.
The AVP Tour now moves on to Dallas, which starts on Friday.

Top beach volleyball teams come out on top
The top-ranked men's and women's duos swept to victories in beach volleyball's Miami Open in South Beach.
Posted on Sun, Apr. 13, 2008
BY ANDY KENT
Special to The Miami Herald
Thanks to some clutch serving and timely hitting down the stretch, the top-seeded women's beach volleyball team of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh pulled out a dramatic 21-15, 17-21, 15-13 victory against No. 2 Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs in Sunday's championship match of the season-opening 2008 AVP CROCS Tour $200,000 Cuervo Gold Miami Open. Their win made it a clean sweep for the No. 1 teams.
Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers, the top seeds on the men's side, knocked off surprise finalists Nick Lucena and Sean Scott 21-14, 21-13 in the first match, becoming the first team since Eric Fonoimana and Dax Holdren in 2002-03 to win consecutive season openers. The duo captured last year's Miami Open at Bicentennial Park in downtown Miami.
But the win by May-Treanor and Walsh left a sweeter taste in the mouths of the 2004 Olympic gold medalists than the one they left with after losing in the semifinals last year. They took home the same $20,000 first-place check that the men left with, with the runners-up earning $15,000. The money is split between the partners.
''It was nice for Kerri and I to come back and win this event,'' said May-Treanor, of Fort Lauderdale. ``I thought Elaine and Nicole played awesome, and you're looking at what could be a gold-medal match for the [2008] Olympics, which would be fun with two U.S. teams in it.''
Down 10-7 in the third and decisive game, Walsh came back with a cross-court spike to keep it within two points, and then a long hit by Branagh allowed the lead to fall to one point. May-Treanor put away a winner down the line to tie it at 10-10.
Branagh answered down the line for 11-10, and Walsh came right back with a deep winner to make it 11-11. A nice tap shot by Youngs gave her team a 12-11 lead, and May-Treanor responded again to tie it at 12-12.
A block by Youngs made it 13-12. A Walsh winner evened it at 13-13, and May-Treanor served short and then saw Walsh stuff a block to give the favorites match point at 14-13. May-Treanor ended it with a down-the-line winner.
''You wouldn't like it to be that close, but a win's a win and we'll take it,'' May-Treanor said. ``It's nice when you can come back against a great team like that and win, because usually a team like Nicole and Elaine, when they've got you down, pretty much you're down.''
For Dalhausser and Rogers, they were trying to avoid becoming Lucena's and Scott's fourth consecutive upset victim. Lucena grew up on Fort Lauderdale beach and went to Western High, and he and Scott were the hottest team coming into Sunday's action, having knocked off the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 seeds to reach the finals.
''Nick, I've never doubted him. He's probably the best athlete on tour,'' Dalhausser said of Lucena. ``I wasn't surprised that they made it this far. I know they've been playing well, and I expect them to make a couple of other finals this year. We're playing solid volleyball, and we still struggled in three out of our five matches, but we're just making plays at the right time, I think.''
''[Dalhausser is] the best volleyball player. He's unbelievable, and everyone's trying to get to his level,'' Lucena said. ``A lot of people say I'm pretty athletic, and I'm just trying to become a better volleyball player and maybe I'll get to that level. But he's pretty dominant right now.''

May-Treanor, Walsh win AVP Miami Open
MIAMI Fla. — Newport Harbor High product Misty May-Treanor and partner Kerri Walsh picked up where they left off last season, winning the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals’ first tour stop of the season Sunday to split $20,000.
May-Treanor and Walsh defeated defending event champions Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh, 21-15, 17-21, 15-13, in an 62-minute title match.
April Ross, another former Sailors standout, and her partner, Jennifer Boss, lost to Youngs-Branagh, 21-15, 21-19, in a 48-minute semifinal and finished tied for third. They split $9,500.
Former UC Irvine player Whitney Pavlik, playing with Jennifer Snyder, finished tied for ninth, which was good for $2,875 for the tandem to split.
In the men’s event, Estancia High product Matt Fuerbringer led the locals, finishing tied for third. He and partner Casey Jennings split $9,500 after falling to eventual champions Phil Dalhauser and Todd Rogers, 16-21, 24-22, 15-11, in a 66-minute semifinal.
Costa Mesa resident Jake Gibb and partner Sean Rosenthal tied for fifth, splitting $6,000, while Newport Harbor High product Ty Tramblie teamed with Scott Lane to finish tied for 17th. They split $800.
Dalhauser and Rogers defeated Nick Lucena and Sean Scott, 21-14, 21-13, in the title match.
Next up is the Dallas Open, scheduled Friday through Sunday at the Ballpark in Arlington.

Lucena, Scott fall in AVP Miami Open finals
May-Treanor, Walsh rally for women's title
By SHARON ROBB | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
April 14, 2008
MIAMI BEACH - Nick Lucena let his emotions get the best of him in the championship final of the $200,000 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open on Sunday at Lummus Park.
In front of family and friends he played against growing up on Fort Lauderdale beach, the 28-year-old former Western and Florida State player and Sean Scott lost their final debut to the best players on the tour. Beijing-bound and No. 1 seeds Phil Dalhausser, of Ormond Beach, and Todd Rogers, of Solvang, Calif., made it look easy with a 21-13, 21-14 victory over Lucena and Scott in 48 minutes. The winners split $20,000. "You always want to win when you get to the finals … always," Lucena said. "We are playing well, but obviously they are the No. 1 team in the world and you have to play perfect to beat them. They played great."  In the women's finals, top seeds and 2004 Olympic gold medalists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh came from behind to defeat defending champions Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh 21-15, 17-21, 15-13 to win $20,000.
"Finally we did it," said May-Treanor, wife of Marlins catcher Matt Treanor. May-Treanor, of Coral Springs, has a record 90 career wins in Florida alone.
Lucena and Scott split $15,000. Lucena's previous best finish in a South Florida AVP tournament was seventh in 2006 in Fort Lauderdale.
Lucena won his first AVP title in 2005 in Austin, Texas, with the Orlando-born Dalhausser and the were the first East Coast players to win an AVP title since 1997.
Last year his best finish was third in Chicago with Mark Williams.
"I wasn't nervous, I've been there before," said Lucena, who throughout his match waved the hometown crowd on for support.
"I was more excited and more amped. Maybe a little too amped. I have to learn how to mentally stay in it. I was serving the ball too hard and it was going out."
Lucena and Scott were the surprise team of the tournament. The No. 6 seeds opened with a 23-21, 17-21, 15-12 win over third-seeded Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal and then came back to knock off second-seeded John Hyden and Brad Keenan, 21-14, 21-17.
In Sunday's semifinals, they defeated Anthony Medel and Fred Souza, 21-11, 21-17, to get into the final.
"We played well and we beat a lot of good teams," Lucena said.
Lucena made his way to the AVP tour the hard way — through qualifiers. After graduating from Florida State, he started playing full time. Lucena played with Dalhausser for two years before they split after the 2005 season, his best on the tour with top-10 finishes in 12 of 13 events.
"Nick is probably the best athlete on tour," Dalhausser said of his former partner. "I've never doubted him. They are playing well and I expect them to make a few more finals this year."

AVP Crocs Tour Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open Championships Go To May-Treanor/Walsh and Dalhausser/Rogers
Phil Dallhauser and Todd Rogers win their second consecutive title in Miami; May-Treanor and Walsh defeat defending champs
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - April 13, 2008 - The AVP Crocs Tour closed out the first of its 18 tournaments this season on Sunday, crowning men’s and women’s champions of the Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open, the first of three AVP Crocs Tour Cuervo Gold Crown events.  Winning teams took home $20,000 each for their first-place finish.   
South Forida native Phil Dalhausser and teammate Todd Rogers successfully defended their 2007 Miami Open title, defeating the sixth-ranked team of Sean Scott and Nick Lucena in the final in consecutive games 21-13, 21-14.  Dalhausser/Rogers won all five games they played Sunday, losing only one game of the 13 they played over the weekend.  Dalhausser, the 2007 MVP of the AVP, ranked second among all players in the tournament with 15 aces and 22 blocks.
The women’s final was a rematch of the 2007 Miami Open semi-finals between top ranked Misty May-Treanor/Kerri Walsh and Nicole Branagh/Elaine Youngs, who entered the tournament ranked second.  Turning the tables from the 2007 finish that saw Branagh/Youngs take top honors, May-Treanor/Walsh defeated “EY” and Nicole in three games, 21-17, 15-21 and 15-13.  The final featured the top two teams leading the charge of 2008 Olympic hopefuls.
The three-tournament Cuervo Gold Crown Series continues next weekend, April 18-20, in Dallas, Tex. with the AVP Crocs Tour Cuervo Gold Crown Dallas Open.  At the third and final tournament of the series in Huntington Beach, Calif., the top four men’s and women’s teams in cumulative points after these first three events will go on to compete in a winner-take-all tournament to determine the Cuervo Gold Crown Series champion. This final Cuervo Gold Crown tournament will take place following the Huntington Beach tournament on Sunday, May 4.  The top men’s and women’s teams emerging from the series will each win a $25,000 bonus check.
About AVP, Inc.
AVP, Inc. is a leading lifestyle sports entertainment company focused on the production, marketing and distribution of professional beach volleyball events worldwide. One of the fastest growing entities in the sports world, the AVP operates two of the industry's most prominent national outdoor touring series, the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour (1983) and the AVP Hot Winter Nights Indoor Tour (launched in 2008). The AVP is set to stage more than 35 events throughout the United States in 2008 and features more than 150 of the top men and women competitors in the sport. At the 2004 Athens Olympics, AVP athletes representing the United States won gold and bronze. The medals were the first won by the U.S. women in professional beach volleyball, and the 2007 World Champions in each gender are AVP athletes. AVP is headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif., and the company’s stock trades under the symbol AVPI on the OTC Bulletin Board. For more information, please visit www.avp.com <http://www.avp.com/>.
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Jose Cuervo is the largest producer of Tequila throughout Mexico and around the world. The Jose Cuervo portfolio of Tequilas includes Jose Cuervo Especial, the number one Tequila worldwide, Jose Cuervo Clásico, Jose Cuervo Black Medallion, Jose Cuervo Tradicional, Jose Cuervo Platino, Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia, Jose Cuervo Golden Margaritas, Authentic Jose Cuervo Margaritas and Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix.  For more information, visit www.cuervo.com.
AVP Crocs Tour Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open
April 13, 2008
Quick Quotes
Men’s Final - Phil Dalhausser/Todd Rogers def. Nick Lucena/Sean Scott, 21-14, 21-13
Phil Dalhausser
“We may be cruising, but we’re still playing solid volleyball. We still struggled in three out of our five matches, so we’re just making plays at the right time, it seems like.”
“I’ve never doubted Nick. He’s probably the best athlete on the Tour. Sean’s taller, but I think Nick’s quicker and jumps better in the sand. I wasn’t surprised - I know they’ve been playing well, and I expect them to make some more finals this year.”
Todd Rogers
“I know Sean very well, and he and Nick know each other very well, so I wasn’t surprised that they made it to the final. They beat a lot of good teams to get there.”
“We like it a lot better out here on South Beach than over in downtown Miami. We like it a lot.”
Nick Lucena
“We’re excited. I’ve been wanting to play with Sean for a while now. We had a good offseason, and it’s a great first tournament. Our goal was to get to the final and win, but now we just have to focus on Dallas and the rest of the season.”
“(Dalhausser) is the best volleyball player out there - he’s unbelievable. Everyone’s trying to get to his level. A lot of people say I’m pretty athletic, but I want to become a better volleyball player, and maybe I can get to that level. But Phil’s pretty dominant right now.”
“It’s a long season. (Getting to the finals) is definitely encouraging. The chemistry came out right away. We played well; we beat a lot of good teams. You’ve got to play great against Phil and Todd - they played awesome. Todd dug a bunch of balls, and Phil served great. They’re just a notch ahead of us.”
“All my family and friends are here. It’s always fun playing in front of them. They’re a big reason why we got to the final - we were all pumped up for these games. They’ve been super supportive; it’s been a dream.”
Sean Scott
“This is definitely encouraging for Nick and I. We just have to know that we’re doing things right. Like he said earlier, it is a long season, so we have to keep doing it and working hard. We have to get home on Monday and get back to the beach and back to training, and start focusing on Dallas. It’s just one event out of the whole season, but it’s definitely encouraging that we are doing well.”
“I thought they played well. I didn’t do a very good job of siding out, and that didn’t really give us a chance. We were out of it pretty early. Against that team, you have to bring your best game - if you don’t, you’re not going to win.”
“I’ve always liked Nick as a person and a player, so it’s really easy to play with him. He’s got a lot of fire. He’s definitely one of the most athletic players out here. He’s quick, he jumps well, and he’s got a lot of fire.”
Women’s Finals
Misty May-Treanor/Kerri Walsh def. Elaine Youngs/Nicole Branagh, 21-17, 15-21, 15-13
Misty May-Treanor
“You wouldn’t like it to be that close, but a win’s a win, and we’ll take it. It’s nice when you can come back against a great team like that. Usually Nicole and EY, when they’ve got you down, pretty much you’re down. So it’s nice, and hopefully we’ll gain experience from it.”
“We got back into a good sideout rhythm and had very good serves. I thought in Game 2 and the first couple points of Game 3, our passing wasn’t as good. We just got back into a nice sideout rhythm.”
(On the final point)
“When Kerri does her job at the net, my job is to get everything behind her. She was able to channel the ball to me, and I was able to control it. You don’t want to keep going back and forth with a team like that.”
Kerri Walsh
“I feel like it was such a daze. Misty and I played like we played pretty well in the first and got some breaks. In the second game, we were just so lackadaisical. It kind of carried over to the third, which is kind of uncharacteristic of us; we don’t like to do that at all. They had the lead the whole time, and then we got a few breaks - we didn’t capitalize on them earlier. That’s how you win.”
“It’s only up from here. I think we beat the best teams on the tour this weekend. I feel like we did it at maybe 60 percent. We’re working really hard, but we weren’t tight yet, and we’re going to get tight.”
“A win’s a win, regardless of how ugly it is. We have so much respect for the field, and we don’t take any win for granted. So this will definitely carry over into next weekend.”
“We have five of the top teams in the world (on the AVP). Nobody likes playing Americans, and we are fortunate - and it’s kind of a mixed blessing - because we get to play these teams so often. We get to know each other inside and out, which is good and bad. But ultimately, it’s making us better for the gold in Beijing. That’s what we want so bad, and playing these girls every single weekend is going to make us so much better.”
2008 AVP CROCS Tour
$200,000 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open
Miami, Fla. ∙ April 10 - 13, 2008
Men’s Main Draw Tournament Results (Sunday, April 13)
Contender’s Bracket, fifth round (losers eliminated, place fifth, split $6,000)
Matt Fuerbringer, Redondo Beach, Calif. / Casey Jennings, Hermosa Beach, Calif. (No. 5-seeded main draw team) d. John Hyden, Sherman Oaks, Calif. / Brad Keenan, Santa Ana, Calif. (2), 16-21, 21-19, 15-11 (66 minutes);
Anthony Medel, Hermosa Beach, Calif. / Fred Souza, Redondo Beach, Calif. (4) d. Jake Gibb, Costa Mesa, Calif. / Sean Rosenthal, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (3), 22-24, 21-15, 21-19 (81).
Semifinals (losers eliminated, place third, split $9,500)
Phil Dalhausser, Santa Barbara, Calif. / Todd Rogers, Solvang, Calif. (1)  def. Fuerbringer / Jennings (5), 16-21, 24-22, 15-13 (79);
Nick Lucena, Santa Barbara, Calif. / Sean Scott, Redondo Beach, Calif. (6) d. Medel / Souza (4), 21-11, 21-17 (50).
Championship Match (winners place first, split $20,000; losers place second, split $15,000)
Dalhausser / Rogers (1) d. Lucena / Scott (6), 21-14, 21-13 (48).
Women’s Main Draw Tournament Results (Sunday, April 13)
Contender’s Bracket, fifth round (losers eliminated, place fifth, split $6,000)
Tyra Turner, Fort Myers Beach, Fla. / Rachel Wacholder, Redondo Beach, Calif. (3) d. Annett Davis, Valencia, Calif. / Jenny Johnson Jordan, Tarzana, Calif. (5), 21-16, 24-22 (48);
Jennifer Boss, San Clemente, Calif. / April Ross, Costa Mesa, Calif. (4) d. Angie Akers, Redondo Beach, Calif. / Holly McPeak, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (6), 21-13, 21-19 (47).
Semifinals (losers eliminated, place third, split $9,500)
Misty May-Treanor, Coral Springs, Fla. / Kerri Walsh, Hermosa Beach, Calif. (1) d. Turner / Wacholder (3), 21-15, 21-10 (37);
Nicole Branagh, Torrance, Calif. / Elaine Youngs, Durango, Colo. (2) d. Boss / Ross (4), 21-15, 21-19 (48).
Championship Match (winners place first, split $20,000; losers place second, split $15,000)
May-Treanor / Walsh (1) d. Branagh / Youngs (2), 21-15, 17-21, 15-13 (62).

Olympics notes: Life can be a beach even at a ballpark parking lot
By CHAREAN WILLIAMSStar-Telegram Staff Writer
CHICAGO -- Beach volleyball players Misty May-Treanor, Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs are leaving Chicago headed to Arlington for the AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Dallas Open this weekend.
Some 3,000 tons of sand -- 125 dump-truck loads -- will turn one of the parking lots at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington into a makeshift beach volleyball site.
"This is actually one of the better parking lots we play in," said May-Treanor, who, along with teammate Kerri Walsh, won the 2004 Olympic gold medal. "I enjoy the one in Dallas, excuse me, I mean Arlington. I look forward to seeing how the football stadium is coming along, too."
Beach volleyball has adapted its game to play anywhere and everywhere -- a tennis stadium in Cincinnati, the Swiss Alps, the middle of Beijing and in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.
"It's cool," Youngs said. "We can play anywhere you can put down sand."

Kiraly to be Inducted into U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame
B.J. Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
CHICAGO, Ill. (April 15, 2008) – Karch Kiraly, the only volleyball player to win three Olympic gold medals, is one of nine Olympians who will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Presented by Allstate, the U.S. Olympic Committee announced on Tuesday.
Kiraly (Santa Barbara, Calif.), who retired from beach volleyball in 2007, won gold medals with the U.S. Men’s indoor team in 1984 and ’88, then came back and won a gold medal on the beach with partner Kent Steffes in 1996.
“It is a great honor and privilege to be inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame as a member of the 2008 Class,” Kiraly said on Tuesday. “The Hall already contains so many legends and this year's class features many of my peers whom I have admired and respected tremendously throughout the years. 
“When casting my votes on this year's ballot, I struggled greatly to choose just six out of the 18 nominees in the Individual category.
“I view this honor as a product of two huge forces: one, all the extraordinary Olympic teammates and coaches with whom I had the pleasure of sharing the court; and two, the unwavering support of all of my wonderful family and friends. The sport of volleyball - indoor and beach - is still a big part of my life, particularly as a coach of my two boys' high school team and through my ongoing work with USA Volleyball’s indoor and beach programs.
“To the USOC and to all who felt me worthy of this honor, I am so grateful - thank you.”
USA Volleyball CEO Doug Beal, head coach of the 1984 U.S. Olympic men’s volleyball team, applauded the honor.
"The Olympic Games is the greatest platform in our sport. Karch not only excelled there, he embraced the entire experience, setting standards for achievement and excellence that will likely stand for generations,” Beal said. “This recognition of Karch is to be applauded as he takes his place beside the very best in all sports. USA Volleyball is proud of Karch the man, proud of his achievements, and proud of this most deserved recognition."
The induction ceremony will take place June 19 in Chicago. The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2008 is comprised of nine Olympians, one Paralympian, an Olympic Coach, Veteran, Team and Special Contributor.
Wrestler Bruce Baumgartner, athletics athlete Joan Benoit, figure skater Brian Boitano, boxer Oscar de La Hoya, equestrian J. Michael Plumb, basketball player David Robinson, swimmer Amy Van Dyken, shooter Lones W. Wigger, Jr. and Paralympic swimmer John Morgan will be inducted as individuals. Figure skating coach Carlo Fassi will be inducted in the Coach category along with Olympic figure skating gold medalist Carol Heiss Jenkins in the Veteran category.  The members of the 1996 Women’s Gymnastics Team – Amanda Borden, Amy Chow, Dominique Dawes, Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Jaycie Phelps and Kerri Strug – will also be honored in the Team category, as will legendary Hollywood producer Frank Marshall as the Special Contributor.
Considered by many to be the greatest volleyball player of all time, Karch Kiraly, 47, is the winningest player in the history of the game. When he was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2001, he was named the greatest men's volleyball player of the sport's first century.
The FIVB, volleyball's international federation, recognized Kiraly as the finest volleyball player in the world for the last century, citing Kiraly's performance and courage in leading the U.S. Men's Team to an unprecedented string of historic championships, including the famed Triple Crown of volleyball, which consisted of gold medals at the 1984 Olympics, the 1985 World Cup and the 1986 World Championships.
The 1984 Olympic gold medal was the United States' first podium finish for volleyball. He led the U.S. Men to a second gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games.
Following the first two Olympic indoor wins, Kiraly spent two years playing in the Italian professional indoor volleyball leagues and then committed to a full-time schedule on the professional beach volleyball tour.
In 1996, he and Steffes won the first Olympic gold medal in beach volleyball as the sport made its debut at the Summer Games in Atlanta.
Before retiring at the end of the 2007 season, Kiraly won at least one tournament in 24 of the 28 seasons he played, spanning four different decades. He claimed a title in 24 different states with 13 different partners. In domestic events, he finished lower than ninth place only four times and has been in the semifinals over 80 percent of the time.
Kiraly has been named the Most Valuable Player by the AVP (American Volleyball Professionals) six times and was named “Best Player in the World” in 1986 and 1988. He was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame Class in 2005.
In 1992, Kiraly was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame and had his jersey retired after an All-American volleyball career with the Bruins.
Kiraly lives in San Clemente, Calif., with his wife, Janna, and sons Kristian and Kory.
The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Presented by Allstate, an awards-show style ceremony for which Kleenex and AT&T are associate sponsors, will air in a nationally-televised broadcast this summer.
What volleyball players say about Karch Kiraly:
2000 and 2004 U.S. Men’s Volleyball Olympian Ryan Millar (Palmdale, Calif.): “He’s for volleyball what Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods mean to their sports. When I was first starting to play, I would watch him play and it made me better.”
2007 Beach Volleyball World Champion Todd Rogers (Santa Barbara, Calif.): “Karch definitely deserves it. I’d like to see how many athletes have entered three Olympic Games and won three gold medals. If anyone in the sport of volleyball or beach volleyball deserves to go into the Hall of Fame, he’s the guy. No one on both sides (indoor and beach) has done what he has done.”
2004 Olympic Beach Volleyball Bronze Medalist Elaine Youngs (El Toro, Calif.): “When I was 15, I fell in love with the sport (of volleyball) and I had a collage on my wall with mostly photos of Karch. He was someone I idolized. He was someone I patterned my game after, especially my passing.”

Kiraly awarded U.S. Olympic honor
Three-time gold medalist retired from Tour in 2007
AVP Press Release
LOS ANGELES AND CHICAGO -- Beach volleyball legend Karch Kiraly is part of the distinguished Class of 2008 that will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, it was announced today. Kiraly, who played his last competitive season on the AVP Crocs Tour in 2007, is the only player in the history of the sport to win three Olympic gold medals in volleyball.
"We at the AVP could not be prouder of Karch," said Leonard Armato, commissioner and CEO of the AVP Crocs Tour. "Karch has been a great ambassador for the sport of beach volleyball and he deeply deserves this honor. He truly represents the spirit of the Olympic Movement."
The Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place June 19, 2008 in Chicago, Ill. prior to the Summer Games in Beijing.

Meet The Beach Girlz's :  
MySpace URL 
http://www.myspace.com/thebeachgirlz 

         

The Beach Girlz are Brooke Adams, Dominique Domingo,
Noreen Juliano, Mandy Jiroux, and Laura New. These
singer-dancers all met in Los Angeles and share their
passion for performance and the stage. This summer
they will tour the U.S. from coast to coast with the
AVP Pro Volleyball Tour. With original songs (produced
by the pop guru's that brought you hits from Miley Cyrus,
Aly & AJ, and more) and high energy dance performances,
The Beach Girlz are set to take the summer of 2008 by storm.

 
Apr 12 2008 10:00A
 AVP Tour - Miami, Florida @ 1001 Ocean Drive Miami Beach 33139 

Apr 17 2008 10:00A
 AVP Tour - Dallax, Texas @ Rangers Ballpark at Arlington 

May 2 2008 10:00A
 AVP Tour - Huntington Beach, CA @ South Side of Huntington Beach Pier 

May 8 2008 10:00A
 AVP Tour - Charleston, SC @ Family Circle Tennis Center 

May 15 2008 10:00A
 AVP Tour - Louisville, KY @ 131 River Way Louisville 

May 30 2008 10:00A
 AVP Tour - Atlanta, GA @ Atlantic Station 

Jun 6 2008 10:00A
 AVP Tour - Hermosa Beach @ North Side of Hermosa Beach Pier 

Jun 20 2008 10:00A
 AVP Tour - Belmar, NJ @ 4th Avenue at Ocean Belmar 

Jul 4 2008 10:00A
 AVP Tour - Boulder, CO @ Folsom Field 

Jul 10 2008 10:00A
 AVP Tour - Chicago, IL @ North Avenue Beach

Beach Girlz bring music, fun to tour
New all-girl pop group will visit all 18 AVP Tour stops
By Walter Villa / Special to avp.com
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Hot weather, hot athletes and now ... a hot new all-girl pop group.
The Beach Girlz will make their debut Saturday between noon and 4 p.m. at the AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Crocs Tour Miami Open on South Beach.
The five young women -- two blondes and three brunettes -- who make up the group were selected from auditions in Los Angeles. They are:
• Brooke Adams from Fort Worth, Texas.
• Dominique Domingo from San Diego, Calif.
• Mandy Jiroux from Phoenix, Ariz.
• Laura New from Sydney, Australia.
• Noreen Juliano from Sunnyvale, Calif.
The girls, who met just four weeks ago, are excited about the opportunity to perform Saturday and again Sunday as part of the AVP Tour.
"We have been rehearsing a lot for the past two-and-a-half weeks," New said. "We feel very fortunate to be a part of this. We are hoping it can be a stepping stone."
The group will travel to each of the AVP Tour's 18 events this season, giving them great national exposure.
"New York, San Diego -- we are excited to go everywhere," Domingo said. "I think we get to go to every girl's home state except for Laura, who is from Australia. I think we are going to have a blast because it is music that kids and adults can enjoy."
The Girlz have already recorded two songs. One is called "This Is The Life", and the other is a remake of the Beach Boys classic "Good Vibrations."
"It's similar to the Beach Boys, but we're the Beach Girlz now, the new generation," New said. "It has a bit of a rap sequence, and we've made it into our own style."
Jiroux said that the newly formed group is getting along great.
"I'd like to see us grow together as singers and dancers and performers," she said. "We are all so different, but everyone gets a chance to shine. We all have unique qualities."

$200,000 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open
April 13-15, 2007

Women's Volleyball Qualifier My Photos

Cinta PrestonBethVanfleet07MiamiQualiFri

Cinta PrestonBethVanfleet07MiamiMainDrawSat

$200,000 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open
April 13-15, 2007

Men's and Women's Volleyball Qualifier My Photos

AVPMiami07QualiFriday

$200,000 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open
April 13-15, 2007

Men's and Women's Volleyball Main Draw My Photos

AVPMiami07MainDrawSat

$200,000 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open
April 13-15, 2007
Gotta thank Rick from EEVB.net for the pix:
Click Here

$200,000 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Miami Open
April 13-15, 2007



volleyshots-John G.

Beach Volleyball galleries

Miami Herald Staff Photos

 


   


 


 


   


   

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April 18th-20th, 2008 $200,000 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Dallas Open at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington,TX
 
   
         
                  Arlington Texas Rangers Ballpark

  AVP Tour Event Coverage

Friederischson and Boldt played very well and sent Boulliane and Clark
home after they had survived a Bye in the first round.
Frederichson/Boldt def Boulliane/Clark 15-7

In the Finals for the 3rd time this season: (The Rubber Match)
Kiraly/Johnson vs Fonoimoana/Blanton.Karch ties Sinjin Smith's All-Time tournament win record!
Kiraly and Johnson defeated Fonoimoana & Blanton 15-4, in a hot final..Karch is now only one victory from tying Sinjin Smith's career victory mark of 139. Congrats Karch!

Men's $75,000 AVP/Sunkist Tournament of Champions
June 5-6, 1999 Dallas, Texas 
Finish Player Partner Seed Winnings  
1 Adam Johnson Karch Kiraly 1 $18,000.00  
2 Dain Blanton Eric Fonoimoana 3 $10,000.00  
3 Jose Loiola Emanuel Rego 2 $6,000.00  
3 Brian Lewis Mike Whitmarsh 4 $6,000.00  
5 Nick Hannemann Henry Russell 5 $3,500.00  
5 Brent Frohoff Ricci Luyties 6 $3,500.00  
5 Brent Doble Lee LeGrande 7 $3,500.00  
5 Eduardo Bacil Carlos Loss 8 $3,500.00  
9 Rifat Agi Steve Simpson   $2,000.00  
9 Richard Boldt Scott Friederichsen   $2,000.00  
9 Canyon Ceman Adam Jewell   $2,000.00  
9 Dax Holdren Todd Rogers   $2,000.00  
13 Bartosz Bachorski Janusz Bulkowski   $1,026.00  
13 Bill Boullianne Ian Clark   $1,026.00  
13 Paul Boyd John Hribar   $1,026.00  
13 Dan Castillo Leland Quinn   $1,026.00  
13 Peter Goers Aaron Smith   $1,026.00  
13 Mark Kerins Kevin Martin   $1,026.00  
13 Mark Paaluhi Wayne Seligson   $1,026.00  
13 Sean Scott Matt Unger   $1,026.00  
21 Daniel Cardenas Jim Nichols   $400.00  
21 Ran Kumgisky Tom Slauterbeck   $400.00  
21 Masui Allen Alika Williams   $400.00  
21 John Anselmo Jason Pursley   $400.00  
21 Paul Baxter Nathan Heidger   $400.00  
21 Jeff Bellandi Curtis Rollins   $400.00  
21 Scott Davenport Collin Smith   $400.00  
21 Pepe Delahoz Brad Torsone   $400.00  
21 David Fischer Brian MacDonald   $400.00  
21 Jerry Graham Chris Makos   $400.00  
21 Albert Hannemann Bryan Ivie   $400.00  
21 Gaston Macau Dan Ortega   $400.00

April 18-20, 2008

Event Information

Main Draw
•  24 Teams, 7 Courts
•  18 automatic entries, 2 wildcards

Qualifier
•  32 Men's and Women's teams
•  4 teams advance via Qualifier

Finals
•  MEN: 4:00 p.m. on Saturday 4/21
•  WOMEN: 12:15 p.m. on Sunday 4/22

Youth Clinics
Hilton AVP Youth Indoor to Outdoor Transition Clinics are for all volleyball players between the ages of 12-18. Clinics are held onsite at AVP events and are free.
Download Registration Form to Sign Up!
•  Dallas Youth Clinic Form
   [Microsoft Word Document]

Tickets:

Men's and Women's Main Draw Competition
Friday, April 18, 2008
8:00 a.m.
 
Saturday, April 19, 2008
10:00 a.m.
 
Sunday, April 20, 2008
8:30 a.m.

Ticket Prices
Sections Price
Courtside General Admission $35.00
Grandstand General Admission $15.00
* Must be 18 years of age or younger and present valid school ID 
  
Print Tickets at Home
Print your AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Dallas tickets at home after you make your purchase from avp.com!
Find out how >

GA Group Tickets
Coming soon.

Schedule:

Thursday, April 17, 2008
Men's and Women's Qualifier Competition
Gates open at 8:00 a.m.
Competition start time 8:00 a.m.
Competition End Time (Approx) 6:00 p.m.
Free Admission
 
Friday, April 18, 2008
Men's and Women's Main Draw Competition
Gates open at 7:30 a.m.
Competition start time 8:00 a.m.
Competition End Time (Approx) 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 19, 2008
Men's and Women's Main Draw Competition
Gates open at 9:30 a.m.
Competition start time 10:00 a.m.
Men's Finals 4:00 p.m.
Competition End Time (Approx) 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 19, 2008
Men's and Women's Main Draw Competition
Evening Session 
7:30pm-10:30pm

Sunday, April 20, 2008
Men's and Women's Main Draw Competition
Gates open at 8:00 a.m.
Competition start time 8:30 a.m.
Women's Finals 12:15 p.m.
Competition End Time (Approx) 3:15 p.m.

April 17-20, 2008 
Finish Player Partner Seed  
  Phil Dalhausser Todd Rogers 1  
  Matt Fuerbringer Casey Jennings 2  
  Anthony Medel Fred Souza 3  
  Jake Gibb Sean Rosenthal 4  
  John Hyden Brad Keenan 5  
  Nick Lucena Sean Scott 6  
  Aaron Wachtfogel Mark Williams 7  
  Ty Loomis Hans Stolfus 8  
  Ryan Mariano Ed Ratledge 9  
  Pedro Brazao Jose Loiola 10  
  Dax Holdren Will Strickland 11  
  Matt Olson Kevin Wong 12  
  Jeff Carlucci John Mayer 13  
  Adam Jewell Jeff Nygaard 14  
  Dain Blanton Canyon Ceman 15  
  Albert Hannemann Austin Rester 16  
  Russ Marchewka Mike Placek 17  
  Vincent Robbins Adam Roberts 18  
  Scott Davenport AJ Mihalic Q1  
  John Moran Casey Patterson Q2  
  Braidy Halverson Jason Lee Q3  
  Everett Matthews Jon Mesko Q4  
  David Fischer Dane Jensen Q5  
  Kevin Dake Jason Wight Q6  
  Joaquin Acosta Jonathan Acosta Q7  
  Joey Dykstra Connor Hastings Q8  
  Mike Bruning Jesse Rambis Q9  
  Justin Phipps Mike Szymanski Q10  
  Ivan Mercer Jeff Murrell Q11  
  Danko Iordanov Lucas Wisniakowski Q12  
  Skyler Davis Derek Zimmerman Q13  
  Erik Gomez Yariv Lerner Q14  
  Kevin McColloch Jim Nichols Q15  
  Travis Schoonover Aaron Wexler Q16  
  Duncan Budinger Derek Sorensen Q17  
  Evan Engle Steven VanderWerp Q18  
  Benjamin Shamrokh Adam VanOort Q19  
  Drew Hamilton Travis Regner Q20  
  Dan Newman Tim Ryan Q21  
  Chase Andrews Dave Merrill Q22  
  Greg Arentz Dan Stubinski Q23  
  Tom Chapman Steve Sheppard Q24  
  Derek Bond Kyle Kennedy Q25  
  Chad Gonzalez Will Johnson Q26  
  Lucas Burch Michael Carlton Q27  
  Randy Meador Tim Wooliver Q28  
  Richard Crouse Steven Hester Q29  
  Jim Jackson Daniel Lindsey Q30  
  Caine Cambron Wayne Young Q31  
  Jason Brown Curtis Pitts Q32  
  Ron Browning Bill Maik Q33  
  Chad Mays Jason Pondrom Q34  
  Jordan Bailey Mike Liggett Q35  
  Jonathan Alvarez Chris Bontrager Q36  
  Billy Allen Paul Baxter    
  Mike Morrison Ty Tramblie 

Men's Results:

Men's $100,000 AVP Gold Crown Dallas
April 17-20, 2008 
Finish Player Partner Seed Winnings Points  
1 Phil Dalhausser Todd Rogers 1 $20,000.00 360.0  
2 Jake Gibb Sean Rosenthal 4 $15,000.00 324.0  
3 Matt Fuerbringer Casey Jennings 2 $9,500.00 270.0  
3 Aaron Wachtfogel Mark Williams 7 $9,500.00 270.0  
5 Anthony Medel Fred Souza 3 $6,000.00 216.0  
5 John Hyden Brad Keenan 5 $6,000.00 216.0  
7 Ryan Mariano Ed Ratledge 9 $4,650.00 180.0  
7 Dax Holdren Will Strickland 11 $4,650.00 180.0  
9 Nick Lucena Sean Scott 6 $2,875.00 144.0  
9 Pedro Brazao Jose Loiola 10 $2,875.00 144.0  
9 Matt Olson Kevin Wong 12 $2,875.00 144.0  
9 Russ Marchewka Mike Placek 17 $2,875.00 144.0  
13 Ty Loomis Hans Stolfus 8 $1,700.00 108.0  
13 Adam Jewell Jeff Nygaard 14 $1,700.00 108.0  
13 Vincent Robbins Adam Roberts 18 $1,700.00 108.0  
13 Mike Morrison Ty Tramblie 20 $1,700.00 108.0  
17 Jeff Carlucci John Mayer 13 $800.00 72.0  
17 Dain Blanton Canyon Ceman 15 $800.00 72.0  
17 Albert Hannemann Austin Rester 16 $800.00 72.0  
17 Scott Davenport AJ Mihalic 19, Q1 $800.00 72.0  
17 Billy Allen Paul Baxter 21 $800.00 72.0  
17 John Moran Casey Patterson 22, Q2 $800.00 72.0  
17 Braidy Halverson Jason Lee 23, Q3 $800.00 72.0  
17 David Fischer Dane Jensen 24, Q5 $800.00 72.0  
25 Everett Matthews Jon Mesko Q4 $0.00 36.0  
25 Kevin Dake Jason Wight Q6 $0.00 36.0  
25 Joaquin Acosta Jonathan Acosta Q7 $0.00 36.0  
25 Mike Bruning Jesse Rambis Q9 $0.00 36.0  
29 Joey Dykstra Connor Hastings Q8 $0.00 18.0  
29 Justin Phipps Mike Szymanski Q10 $0.00 18.0  
29 Ivan Mercer Jeff Murrell Q11 $0.00 18.0  
29 Danko Iordanov Lucas Wisniakowski Q12 $0.00 18.0  
29 Kevin McColloch Jim Nichols Q15 $0.00 18.0  
29 Travis Schoonover Aaron Wexler Q16 $0.00 18.0  
29 Benjamin Shamrokh Adam VanOort Q19 $0.00 18.0  
29 Drew Hamilton Travis Regner Q20 $0.00 18.0  
37 Skyler Davis Derek Zimmerman Q13 $0.00 12.0  
37 Erik Gomez Yariv Lerner Q14 $0.00 12.0  
37 Duncan Budinger Derek Sorensen Q17 $0.00 12.0  
37 Evan Engle Steven VanderWerp Q18 $0.00 12.0  
37 Dan Newman Tim Ryan Q21 $0.00 12.0  
37 Chase Andrews Dave Merrill Q22 $0.00 12.0  
37 Greg Arentz Dan Stubinski Q23 $0.00 12.0  
37 Tom Chapman Steve Sheppard Q24 $0.00 12.0  
37 Derek Bond Kyle Kennedy Q25 $0.00 12.0  
37 Chad Gonzalez Will Johnson Q26 $0.00 12.0  
37 Lucas Burch Michael Carlton Q27 $0.00 12.0  
37 Randy Meador Tim Wooliver Q28 $0.00 12.0  
37 Ron Browning Bill Maik Q33 $0.00 12.0  
37 Chad Mays Jason Pondrom Q34 $0.00 12.0  
37 Jordan Bailey Mike Liggett Q35 $0.00 12.0  
37 Jonathan Alvarez Chris Bontrager Q36 $0.00 12.0  
53 Richard Crouse Steven Hester Q29 $0.00 8.0  
53 Jim Jackson Daniel Lindsey Q30 $0.00 8.0  
53 Caine Cambron Wayne Young Q31 $0.00 8.0  
53 Jason Brown Curtis Pitts Q32 $0.00 8.0
 
Men's $100,000 AVP Gold Crown Dallas
April 17-20, 2008 

Qualifier Bracket
Round 1
Match 2: Ron Browning / Bill Maik (Q33) def. Jason Brown / Curtis Pitts (Q32) 23-25, 21-12, 15-12 (0:52)
Match 15: Jonathan Alvarez / Chris Bontrager (Q36) def. Richard Crouse / Steven Hester (Q29) 26-24, 21-16 (0:41)
Match 18: Jordan Bailey / Mike Liggett (Q35) def. Jim Jackson / Daniel Lindsey (Q30) 21-10, 18-21, 15-12 (0:46)
Match 31: Chad Mays / Jason Pondrom (Q34) def. Caine Cambron / Wayne Young (Q31) 21-19, 21-13 (0:49)

Round 2
Match 33: Scott Davenport / AJ Mihalic (19, Q1) def. Ron Browning / Bill Maik (Q33) 21-12, 21-11 (0:38)
Match 34: Travis Schoonover / Aaron Wexler (Q16) def. Duncan Budinger / Derek Sorensen (Q17) 21-18, 21-13 (0:39)
Match 35: Mike Bruning / Jesse Rambis (Q9) def. Tom Chapman / Steve Sheppard (Q24) 21-14, 21-17 (0:37)
Match 36: Joey Dykstra / Connor Hastings (Q8) def. Derek Bond / Kyle Kennedy (Q25) 21-13, 21-16 (0:40)
Match 37: David Fischer / Dane Jensen (24, Q5) def. Randy Meador / Tim Wooliver (Q28) 21-23, 21-17, 16-14 (1:00)
Match 38: Danko Iordanov / Lucas Wisniakowski (Q12) def. Dan Newman / Tim Ryan (Q21) 21-18, 21-11 (0:39)
Match 39: Drew Hamilton / Travis Regner (Q20) def. Skyler Davis / Derek Zimmerman (Q13) 21-19, 13-21, 15-13 (0:56)
Match 40: Everett Matthews / Jon Mesko (Q4) def. Jonathan Alvarez / Chris Bontrager (Q36) 21-9, 21-16 (0:34)
Match 41: Braidy Halverson / Jason Lee (23, Q3) def. Jordan Bailey / Mike Liggett (Q35) 21-6, 21-7 (0:34)
Match 42: Benjamin Shamrokh / Adam VanOort (Q19) def. Erik Gomez / Yariv Lerner (Q14) 24-22, 21-14 (0:38)
Match 43: Ivan Mercer / Jeff Murrell (Q11) def. Chase Andrews / Dave Merrill (Q22) 23-21, 21-13 (0:42)
Match 44: Kevin Dake / Jason Wight (Q6) def. Lucas Burch / Michael Carlton (Q27) 21-13, 21-12 (0:34)
Match 45: Joaquin Acosta / Jonathan Acosta (Q7) def. Chad Gonzalez / Will Johnson (Q26) 21-12, 21-6 (0:32)
Match 46: Justin Phipps / Mike Szymanski (Q10) def. Greg Arentz / Dan Stubinski (Q23) 21-14, 21-23, 15-12 (0:54)
Match 47: Kevin McColloch / Jim Nichols (Q15) def. Evan Engle / Steven VanderWerp (Q18) 21-19, 21-18 (0:37)
Match 48: John Moran / Casey Patterson (22, Q2) def. Chad Mays / Jason Pondrom (Q34) 21-17, 21-17 (0:39)

Round 3
Match 49: Scott Davenport / AJ Mihalic (19, Q1) def. Travis Schoonover / Aaron Wexler (Q16) 21-15, 22-20 (0:49)
Match 50: Mike Bruning / Jesse Rambis (Q9) def. Joey Dykstra / Connor Hastings (Q8) 18-21, 21-16, 15-12 (1:06)
Match 51: David Fischer / Dane Jensen (24, Q5) def. Danko Iordanov / Lucas Wisniakowski (Q12) 21-16, 26-28, 15-11 (1:08)
Match 52: Everett Matthews / Jon Mesko (Q4) def. Drew Hamilton / Travis Regner (Q20) 15-21, 26-24, 23-21 (1:08)
Match 53: Braidy Halverson / Jason Lee (23, Q3) def. Benjamin Shamrokh / Adam VanOort (Q19) 21-13, 21-12 (0:35)
Match 54: Kevin Dake / Jason Wight (Q6) def. Ivan Mercer / Jeff Murrell (Q11) 21-10, 21-18 (0:46)
Match 55: Joaquin Acosta / Jonathan Acosta (Q7) def. Justin Phipps / Mike Szymanski (Q10) 21-17, 21-19 (0:42)
Match 56: John Moran / Casey Patterson (22, Q2) def. Kevin McColloch / Jim Nichols (Q15) 21-13, 21-16 (0:34)

Round 4
Match 57: Scott Davenport / AJ Mihalic (19, Q1) def. Mike Bruning / Jesse Rambis (Q9) 21-17, 21-17 (0:44)
Match 58: David Fischer / Dane Jensen (24, Q5) def. Everett Matthews / Jon Mesko (Q4) 21-17, 25-23 (0:45)
Match 59: Braidy Halverson / Jason Lee (23, Q3) def. Kevin Dake / Jason Wight (Q6) 21-12, 21-14 (0:39)
Match 60: John Moran / Casey Patterson (22, Q2) def. Joaquin Acosta / Jonathan Acosta (Q7) 21-16, 21-18 (0:45)

Winner's Bracket
Round 1
Match 1: Russ Marchewka / Mike Placek (17) def. Albert Hannemann / Austin Rester (16) 15-21, 21-18, 15-12 (1:15)
Match 2: Ryan Mariano / Ed Ratledge (9) def. David Fischer / Dane Jensen (24, Q5) 21-13, 21-13 (0:45)      
Match 3: Matt Olson / Kevin Wong (12) def. Billy Allen / Paul Baxter (21) 21-19, 21-15 (0:57)      
Match 4: Mike Morrison / Ty Tramblie (20) def. Jeff Carlucci / John Mayer (13) 25-23, 23-21 (0:55)      
Match 5: Adam Jewell / Jeff Nygaard (14) def. Scott Davenport / AJ Mihalic (19, Q1) 21-14, 21-11 (0:36)      
Match 6: Dax Holdren / Will Strickland (11) def. John Moran / Casey Patterson (22, Q2) 21-18, 21-15 (0:40)      
Match 7: Pedro Brazao / Jose Loiola (10) def. Braidy Halverson / Jason Lee (23, Q3) 21-17, 21-19 (0:41)      
Match 8: Vincent Robbins / Adam Roberts (18) def. Dain Blanton / Canyon Ceman (15) 18-21, 21-18, 15-10 (0:53)      

Round 2
Match 9: Phil Dalhausser / Todd Rogers (1) def. Russ Marchewka / Mike Placek (17) 21-15, 21-13 (0:41)      
Match 10: Ryan Mariano / Ed Ratledge (9) def. Ty Loomis / Hans Stolfus (8) 21-17, 21-19 (0:54)      
Match 11: Matt Olson / Kevin Wong (12) def. John Hyden / Brad Keenan (5) 21-12, 21-17 (0:38)      
Match 12: Jake Gibb / Sean Rosenthal (4) def. Mike Morrison / Ty Tramblie (20) 19-21, 21-19, 17-15 (1:05)      
Match 13: Anthony Medel / Fred Souza (3) def. Adam Jewell / Jeff Nygaard (14) 17-21, 21-18, 15-11 (1:07)
Match 14: Dax Holdren / Will Strickland (11) def. Nick Lucena / Sean Scott (6) 21-17, 22-20 (0:53)      
Match 15: Pedro Brazao / Jose Loiola (10) def. Aaron Wachtfogel / Mark Williams (7) 21-14, 21-19 (0:44)      
Match 16: Matt Fuerbringer / Casey Jennings (2) def. Vincent Robbins / Adam Roberts (18) 21-18, 21-17 (0:44)      

Round 3
Match 17: Phil Dalhausser / Todd Rogers (1) def. Ryan Mariano / Ed Ratledge (9) 21-17, 21-12 (0:44)      
Match 18: Jake Gibb / Sean Rosenthal (4) def. Matt Olson / Kevin Wong (12) 21-14, 21-18 (0:43)      
Match 19: Anthony Medel / Fred Souza (3) def. Dax Holdren / Will Strickland (11) 17-21, 21-18, 15-11 (1:07)      
Match 20: Matt Fuerbringer / Casey Jennings (2) def. Pedro Brazao / Jose Loiola (10) 21-18, 21-12 (0:48)      

Round 4
Match 21: Phil Dalhausser / Todd Rogers (1) def. Jake Gibb / Sean Rosenthal (4) 14-21, 21-13, 17-15 (1:00)
Match 22: Matt Fuerbringer / Casey Jennings (2) def. Anthony Medel / Fred Souza (3) 21-13, 21-11 (0:43)

Contender's Bracket
Round 1
Match 23: Aaron Wachtfogel / Mark Williams (7) def. Vincent Robbins / Adam Roberts (18) 21-19, 21-7 (0:47)
Match 24: Nick Lucena / Sean Scott (6) def. Adam Jewell / Jeff Nygaard (14) 21-17, 21-16 (0:42)
Match 25: John Hyden / Brad Keenan (5) def. Mike Morrison / Ty Tramblie (20) 21-14, 20-22, 15-11 (0:58)
Match 26: Russ Marchewka / Mike Placek (17) def. Ty Loomis / Hans Stolfus (8) 17-21, 21-19, 15-13 (1:13)

Round 2
Match 27: Aaron Wachtfogel / Mark Williams (7) def. Matt Olson / Kevin Wong (12) 24-22, 21-19 (0:56)
Match 28: Ryan Mariano / Ed Ratledge (9) def. Nick Lucena / Sean Scott (6) 16-21, 21-19, 15-10 (1:08)
Match 29: John Hyden / Brad Keenan (5) def. Pedro Brazao / Jose Loiola (10) 25-23, 21-15 (0:47)
Match 30: Dax Holdren / Will Strickland (11) def. Russ Marchewka / Mike Placek (17) 18-21, 21-16, 15-11 (1:01)

Round 3
Match 31: Aaron Wachtfogel / Mark Williams (7) def. Ryan Mariano / Ed Ratledge (9) 21-17, 21-18 (0:50)      
Match 32: John Hyden / Brad Keenan (5) def. Dax Holdren / Will Strickland (11) 21-17, 21-10 (0:41)      

Round 4
Match 33: Aaron Wachtfogel / Mark Williams (7) def. Anthony Medel / Fred Souza (3) 21-19, 21-15 (0:48)      
Match 34: Jake Gibb / Sean Rosenthal (4) def. John Hyden / Brad Keenan (5) 21-17, 21-18 (0:40)      

Semifinals
Match 35: Phil Dalhausser / Todd Rogers (1) def. Aaron Wachtfogel / Mark Williams (7) 21-17, 21-15 (0:53)      
Match 36: Jake Gibb / Sean Rosenthal (4) def. Matt Fuerbringer / Casey Jennings (2) 21-19, 21-19 (0:50)      

Finals
Match 37: Phil Dalhausser / Todd Rogers (1) def. Jake Gibb / Sean Rosenthal (4) 16-21, 21-16, 15-12 (1:00)   

2008 Men's Quervo Gold Crown Dallas Open Champions >>Phil Dalhausser/Todd Rogers
 

Women's $100,000 AVP Gold Crown Dallas
April 17-20, 2008 
Finish Player Partner Seed  
  Misty May-Treanor Kerri Walsh 1  
  Nicole Branagh Elaine Youngs 2  
  Tyra Turner Rachel Wacholder 3  
  Jennifer Boss April Ross 4  
  Dianne DeNecochea Barbra Fontana 5  
  Annett Davis Jenny Johnson Jordan 6  
  Angie Akers Holly McPeak 7  
  Carrie Dodd Tatiana Minello 8  
  Ashley Ivy Heather Lowe 9  
  Katie Lindquist Tracy Lindquist 10  
  Jennifer Fopma Jenny Pavley 11  
  Jenny Kropp Nancy Mason 12  
  Angela Lewis Sarah Straton 13  
  Michelle More Suzanne Stonebarger 14  
  Jenelle Koester Priscilla Lima 15  
  Paula Roca Stacy Rouwenhorst 16  
  Alicia Polzin Janelle Ruen 17  
  Angela Knopf Saralyn Smith 18  
  Whitney Pavlik Jennifer Snyder 19  
  Sara Dukes Chrissie Zartman Q1  
  Angela McHenry Lisa Rutledge Q2  
  Erin Byrd Stephanie Chapek Q3  
  Stacy Nicks Alicia Zamparelli Q4  
  Angie Hall Lauren Mills Q5  
  Paige Davis Courtney Guerra Q6  
  Kristi Martin Laurel Riechmann Q7  
  Laura Ratto Colleen Smith Q8  
  Gabriela Roney Lenka Urbanova Q9  
  Raquel Beson Bonnie Levin Q10  
  Jennifer Lombardi Nicole Midwin Q11  
  Jennifer Sharp Cindie Valeriano Q12  
  Yolanda Munoz Joanna Rathbun Q13  
  Rebecca Duty Rebekah Johnson Q14  
  Bianca Peigler Shannon Sneed Q15  
  Kyra Lancon Rebeca Pazo Q16  
  Capri Hilgendorf Cindy Phillips Q17  
  Amanda Barnard Heidi Miller Q18  
  Erika Figueiredo Holly Reisor Q19  
  Kathryn Babcock Traci Morin Q20  
  Krystle Cabrera Leah Gibson Q21  
  Kelly Larkan Courtney Trevino Q22  
  Brooke Langston Julie Romias    

Women's Results:

Women's $100,000 AVP Gold Crown Dallas
April 17-20, 2008 
Finish Player Partner Seed Winnings Points  
1 Misty May-Treanor Kerri Walsh 1 $20,000.00 360.0  
2 Nicole Branagh Elaine Youngs 2 $15,000.00 324.0  
3 Jennifer Boss April Ross 4 $9,500.00 270.0  
3 Annett Davis Jenny Johnson Jordan 6 $9,500.00 270.0  
5 Tyra Turner Rachel Wacholder 3 $6,000.00 216.0  
5 Angie Akers Holly McPeak 7 $6,000.00 216.0  
7 Dianne DeNecochea Barbra Fontana 5 $4,650.00 180.0  
7 Carrie Dodd Tatiana Minello 8 $4,650.00 180.0  
9 Ashley Ivy Heather Lowe 9 $2,875.00 144.0  
9 Jenny Kropp Nancy Mason 12 $2,875.00 144.0  
9 Michelle More Suzanne Stonebarger 14 $2,875.00 144.0  
9 Jenelle Koester Priscilla Lima 15 $2,875.00 144.0  
13 Katie Lindquist Tracy Lindquist 10 $1,700.00 108.0  
13 Alicia Polzin Janelle Ruen 17 $1,700.00 108.0  
13 Sara Dukes Chrissie Zartman 20, Q1 $1,700.00 108.0  
13 Angela McHenry Lisa Rutledge 22, Q2 $1,700.00 108.0  
17 Jennifer Fopma Jenny Pavley 11 $800.00 72.0  
17 Angela Lewis Sarah Straton 13 $800.00 72.0  
17 Paula Roca Stacy Rouwenhorst 16 $800.00 72.0  
17 Angela Knopf Saralyn Smith 18 $800.00 72.0  
17 Whitney Pavlik Jennifer Snyder 19 $800.00 72.0  
17 Brooke Langston Julie Romias 21 $800.00 72.0  
17 Erin Byrd Stephanie Chapek 23, Q3 $800.00 72.0  
17 Angie Hall Lauren Mills 24, Q5 $800.00 72.0  
25 Stacy Nicks Alicia Zamparelli Q4 $0.00 36.0  
25 Paige Davis Courtney Guerra Q6 $0.00 36.0  
25 Gabriela Roney Lenka Urbanova Q9 $0.00 36.0  
25 Raquel Beson Bonnie Levin Q10 $0.00 36.0  
29 Kristi Martin Laurel Riechmann Q7 $0.00 18.0  
29 Laura Ratto Colleen Smith Q8 $0.00 18.0  
29 Jennifer Lombardi Nicole Midwin Q11 $0.00 18.0  
29 Jennifer Sharp Cindie Valeriano Q12 $0.00 18.0  
29 Rebecca Duty Rebekah Johnson Q14 $0.00 18.0  
29 Kyra Lancon Rebeca Pazo Q16 $0.00 18.0  
29 Amanda Barnard Heidi Miller Q18 $0.00 18.0  
29 Kathryn Babcock Traci Morin Q20 $0.00 18.0  
37 Yolanda Munoz Joanna Rathbun Q13 $0.00 12.0  
37 Bianca Peigler Shannon Sneed Q15 $0.00 12.0  
37 Capri Hilgendorf Cindy Phillips Q17 $0.00 12.0  
37 Erika Figueiredo Holly Reisor Q19 $0.00 12.0  
37 Krystle Cabrera Leah Gibson Q21 $0.00 12.0  
37 Kelly Larkan Courtney Trevino Q22 $0.00 12.0

Women's $100,000 AVP Gold Crown Dallas
April 17-20, 2008 

Qualifier Bracket
Round 1
Match 2: Kyra Lancon / Rebeca Pazo (Q16) def. Capri Hilgendorf / Cindy Phillips (Q17) 21-16, 21-9 (0:38)
Match 6: Jennifer Sharp / Cindie Valeriano (Q12) def. Krystle Cabrera / Leah Gibson (Q21) 21-10, 21-9 (0:27)
Match 7: Kathryn Babcock / Traci Morin (Q20) def. Yolanda Munoz / Joanna Rathbun (Q13) 21-0, 21-23, 15-10 (0:35)
Match 10: Rebecca Duty / Rebekah Johnson (Q14) def. Erika Figueiredo / Holly Reisor (Q19) 16-21, 21-14, 15-12 (0:58)
Match 11: Jennifer Lombardi / Nicole Midwin (Q11) def. Kelly Larkan / Courtney Trevino (Q22) 21-16, 15-21, 15-12
Match 15: Amanda Barnard / Heidi Miller (Q18) def. Bianca Peigler / Shannon Sneed (Q15) 18-21, 22-20, 15-10 (0:48)

Round 2
Match 17: Sara Dukes / Chrissie Zartman (20, Q1) def. Kyra Lancon / Rebeca Pazo (Q16) 21-14, 21-15 (0:35)
Match 18: Gabriela Roney / Lenka Urbanova (Q9) def. Laura Ratto / Colleen Smith (Q8) 21-16, 21-17 (0:59)
Match 19: Angie Hall / Lauren Mills (24, Q5) def. Jennifer Sharp / Cindie Valeriano (Q12) 19-21, 21-11, 15-12 (0:49)
Match 20: Stacy Nicks / Alicia Zamparelli (Q4) def. Kathryn Babcock / Traci Morin (Q20) 21-12, 21-12 (0:30)
Match 21: Erin Byrd / Stephanie Chapek (23, Q3) def. Rebecca Duty / Rebekah Johnson (Q14) 21-7, 21-12 (0:30)
Match 22: Paige Davis / Courtney Guerra (Q6) def. Jennifer Lombardi / Nicole Midwin (Q11) 21-17, 21-12 (0:39)
Match 23: Raquel Beson / Bonnie Levin (Q10) def. Kristi Martin / Laurel Riechmann (Q7) 18-21, 21-17, 15-8 (1:03)
Match 24: Angela McHenry / Lisa Rutledge (22, Q2) def. Amanda Barnard / Heidi Miller (Q18) 21-8, 21-16 (0:33)

Round 3
Match 25: Sara Dukes / Chrissie Zartman (20, Q1) def. Gabriela Roney / Lenka Urbanova (Q9) 21-17, 13-21, 15-13 (0:48)
Match 26: Angie Hall / Lauren Mills (24, Q5) def. Stacy Nicks / Alicia Zamparelli (Q4) 21-13, 17-21, 15-13 (0:54)
Match 27: Erin Byrd / Stephanie Chapek (23, Q3) def. Paige Davis / Courtney Guerra (Q6) 30-28, 21-10 (0:51)
Match 28: Angela McHenry / Lisa Rutledge (22, Q2) def. Raquel Beson / Bonnie Levin (Q10) 21-17, 21-11 (0:37)

Winner's Bracket
Round 1
Match 1: Alicia Polzin / Janelle Ruen (17) def. Paula Roca / Stacy Rouwenhorst (16) 21-13, 16-21, 15-12 (1:15)      
Match 2: Ashley Ivy / Heather Lowe (9) def. Angie Hall / Lauren Mills (24, Q5) 21-19, 21-18 (0:38)      
Match 3: Jenny Kropp / Nancy Mason (12) def. Brooke Langston / Julie Romias (21) 21-19, 21-13 (0:44)      
Match 4: Sara Dukes / Chrissie Zartman (20, Q1) def. Angela Lewis / Sarah Straton (13) 21-13, 21-15 (0:36)      
Match 5: Michelle More / Suzanne Stonebarger (14) def. Whitney Pavlik / Jennifer Snyder (19) 21-11, 18-21, 15-11 (1:00)      
Match 6: Angela McHenry / Lisa Rutledge (22, Q2) def. Jennifer Fopma / Jenny Pavley (11) 21-13, 10-21, 15-13 (0:58)
Match 7: Katie Lindquist / Tracy Lindquist (10) def. Erin Byrd / Stephanie Chapek (23, Q3) 21-15, 21-17 (0:35)      
Match 8: Jenelle Koester / Priscilla Lima (15) def. Angela Knopf / Saralyn Smith (18) 21-17, 19-21, 15-10 (0:56)      

Round 2
Match 9: Misty May-Treanor / Kerri Walsh (1) def. Alicia Polzin / Janelle Ruen (17) 21-18, 21-14 (0:35)      
Match 10: Ashley Ivy / Heather Lowe (9) def. Carrie Dodd / Tatiana Minello (8) 25-23, 15-21, 15-13 (0:52)
Match 11: Dianne DeNecochea / Barbra Fontana (5) def. Jenny Kropp / Nancy Mason (12) 21-19, 21-15 (0:40)
Match 12: Jennifer Boss / April Ross (4) def. Sara Dukes / Chrissie Zartman (20, Q1) 21-12, 21-12 (0:33)      
Match 13: Michelle More / Suzanne Stonebarger (14) def. Tyra Turner / Rachel Wacholder (3) 21-18, 15-21, 15-12 (0:57)      
Match 14: Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan (6) def. Angela McHenry / Lisa Rutledge (22, Q2) 21-19, 21-10 (0:40)
Match 15: Angie Akers / Holly McPeak (7) def. Katie Lindquist / Tracy Lindquist (10) 17-21, 22-20, 15-12 (0:57)
Match 16: Nicole Branagh / Elaine Youngs (2) def. Jenelle Koester / Priscilla Lima (15) 21-16, 21-12 (0:39)

Round 3
Match 17: Misty May-Treanor / Kerri Walsh (1) def. Ashley Ivy / Heather Lowe (9) 21-15, 21-6 (0:34)      
Match 18: Jennifer Boss / April Ross (4) def. Dianne DeNecochea / Barbra Fontana (5) 21-16, 21-16 (0:44)
Match 19: Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan (6) def. Michelle More / Suzanne Stonebarger (14) 21-17, 21-13 (0:40)
Match 20: Nicole Branagh / Elaine Youngs (2) def. Angie Akers / Holly McPeak (7) 21-11, 21-14 (0:39)      

Round 4
Match 21: Misty May-Treanor / Kerri Walsh (1) def. Jennifer Boss / April Ross (4) 15-21, 21-18, 15-13 (0:54)
Match 22: Nicole Branagh / Elaine Youngs (2) def. Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan (6) 21-12, 21-16 (0:46)

Contender's Bracket
Round 1
Match 23: Jenelle Koester / Priscilla Lima (15) def. Katie Lindquist / Tracy Lindquist (10) 23-21, 21-18 (0:40)
Match 24: Tyra Turner / Rachel Wacholder (3) def. Angela McHenry / Lisa Rutledge (22, Q2) 16-21, 22-20, 15-9 (0:58)
Match 25: Jenny Kropp / Nancy Mason (12) def. Sara Dukes / Chrissie Zartman (20, Q1) 21-16, 21-16 (0:39)
Match 26: Carrie Dodd / Tatiana Minello (8) def. Alicia Polzin / Janelle Ruen (17) 21-16, 18-21, 15-11 (0:57)

Round 2
Match 27: Dianne DeNecochea / Barbra Fontana (5) def. Jenelle Koester / Priscilla Lima (15) 19-21, 21-18, 15-11 (1:01)
Match 28: Tyra Turner / Rachel Wacholder (3) def. Ashley Ivy / Heather Lowe (9) 19-21, 21-16, 15-11 (0:55)
Match 29: Angie Akers / Holly McPeak (7) def. Jenny Kropp / Nancy Mason (12) 21-19, 21-15 (0:40)
Match 30: Carrie Dodd / Tatiana Minello (8) def. Michelle More / Suzanne Stonebarger (14) 14-21, 21-13, 15-11 (1:00)

Round 3
Match 31: Tyra Turner / Rachel Wacholder (3) def. Dianne DeNecochea / Barbra Fontana (5) 21-11, 21-16 (0:42)      
Match 32: Angie Akers / Holly McPeak (7) def. Carrie Dodd / Tatiana Minello (8) 21-18, 21-13 (0:40)      

Round 4
Match 33: Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan (6) def. Tyra Turner / Rachel Wacholder (3) 21-17, 21-14 (0:42)      
Match 34: Jennifer Boss / April Ross (4) def. Angie Akers / Holly McPeak (7) 21-15, 21-19 (0:41)      

Semifinals
Match 35: Misty May-Treanor / Kerri Walsh (1) def. Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan (6) 17-21, 21-19, 15-6 (0:51)      
Match 36: Nicole Branagh / Elaine Youngs (2) def. Jennifer Boss / April Ross (4) 21-18, 21-17 (0:43)      

Finals
Match 37: Misty May-Treanor / Kerri Walsh (1) def. Nicole Branagh / Elaine Youngs (2) 17-21, 21-14, 15-13 (1:04)       

2008 Women's Quervo Gold Crown Dallas Open Champions >>Misty May-Treanor/Kerri Walsh
       
      Misty May-Treanor                                     Kerri Walsh

Articles 2008:

Volleyball's best to surf the net in Arlington
12:01 AM CDT on Thursday, April 17, 2008
By KATE HAIROPOULOS / The Dallas Morning News
khairopoulos@dallasnews.com
Some of the nation's top beach volleyball players will try to win gold in August at the Beijing Games – but first they're making a pit stop at an Arlington parking lot.
The AVP Crocs Tour's Cuervo Gold Crown Dallas Open is Friday through Sunday in Lot N at Rangers Ballpark.
About 125 dump truck loads of sand transformed the lot for the beach party. The draw includes teammates Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh – gold medalists at the 2004 Athens Games, top team of the 2007 AVP Tour and reigning FIVB world champions.
Elaine Youngs, who won bronze in Athens, and new teammate Nicole Branagh could challenge May-Treanor and Walsh, as they did in narrowly losing the final of last week's AVP Tour opener in Miami. Youngs and Branagh are also probably Olympics bound.
Also competing are Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers, who won the first world championship for an American men's beach team in 2007 and who are also expected to make it to Beijing.
The event will be preceded today by an open-round qualifier in which four female and male teams can play their way into the 24-team main draw.
For ticket information, visit www.avp.com/dallas.
Cuervo Gold Crown Dallas Open, Friday-Sunday, Rangers Ballpark, Arlington

Look for power to prevail in Dallas
Few surprises in qualifying rounds
By Bob Thompson / Special to AVP.com
ARLINGTON, Tex. -- Power figures to be the name of the game in this weekend's AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Dallas Open, the second stop on the 2008 AVP Crocs Tour.
In the shadow of the Ballpark in Arlington and the nearby construction of the Dallas Cowboys' fantastic new $1 billion stadium, the nation's top pro beach volleyball players will take to the court this weekend on a very hard, firm playing surface.
Some 125 dump truck loads full of sand were spread out on six courts in the parking lot of the Texas Rangers' home ballpark. The site will be a lot different than the soft sands the players played on the beach last week in Miami.
"It's going to be hammer time," said Casey Patterson, who made it through Thursday's qualifying round by racking up three wins with partner John Moran. "It's a hard surface, almost like an indoor court with a little dust sprinkled on top. We're used to sinking down in the soft beach sand and having to play with some finesse, but this weekend guys are just going to be crushing the ball."
Still, the firm surface yielded few surprises in the qualifying round as four of the top five qualifying-seeded teams advanced to the main draw in both the men's and women's brackets. The top-20 ranked men's and women's teams each made it directly into this weekend's main draw. While 36 men's and 22 women's teams battled Thursday for the four remaining open spots in the tournament.
Patterson and Moran are looking to improve on last weekend's 9th-place finish in Miami and ultimately to earn enough points to snare one of those coveted automatic qualifying positions. The duo has only been playing together for about four weeks, but Patterson says they've got the makings of a great team.
"We're still learning as we go with every match, but we've got some great chemistry so far," Patterson said. "We're playing well. Right now, early in the season it's all about racking up those points. If you get enough points you'll move up and you'll be able to skip these qualifying rounds, which is huge."
Joining Patterson and Moran in the main draw were: Scott Davenport and A.J. Mihalic, Braidy Halverson and Jason Lee, and David Fischer and Dane Jensen.
The firm court conditions should favor the bigger hitters in the field, but don't tell that to former UCLA star Chrissie Zartman. The 5-foot-4 Zartman said the hard sand shouldn't be an issue.
"It's just different, but it's different wherever we go," Zartman said. "Every week you just adjust and you just go play. I think it's going to be fun."
Zartman and playing partner Sara Dukes, who finished 13th in Miami last weekend, made it through Thursday's qualifying round around along with the teams of Angela McHenry and Lisa Rutledge, Erin Byrd and Stephanie Chapek and Angie Hall and Lauren Mills.
Last week's winners and this week's top-seeded teams of Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers and Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh will look to make it two in a row to start the season when play begins Friday morning at 9 a.m. CT.

Top players not just having a ball at local beach volleyball stop
Friday, April 18, 2008
This one's not tough to figure.
Much of beach volleyball is about the scene: the bikinis, the chiseled abs, the party music, the dancing girls. Heck, even the sweat.
The nation's top players are in town through Sunday for the AVP Crocs Tour's Dallas stop in suddenly sand-transformed "Lot N" at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
(Hey, if they can play the sport in Switzerland with the Alps in the background, why not here with Six Flags as a backdrop?)
But this year's tour stop holds more importance than you can squeeze into those bikini bottoms. It's preparation for when several of the players will be bringing the party scene to Beijing for the 2008 Olympics, which are less than four months from now.
Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, probably the best known and most dominant female team ever, showed what the Olympics can do for the sport by winning gold at the 2004 Athens Games. They'll try to repeat this summer. You probably remember the fun of watching them in Athens, where the party vibe was a huge hit.
Don't expect that to be much different even in Beijing, by the way.
"It's hard to take that party-type, freestyle energy from our sport," May-Treanor said this week at the U.S, Olympic Committee Media Summit in Chicago. "China knows what it's about. A lot of their players train in California during their off-season."
But in addition, as a sport that competes domestically with any number of more mainstream professional sports, beach volleyball needs a nice boost from the Summer Games.
2004 was a boon for the women – in addition to May-Treanor and Walsh's gold, Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs took the bronze. Both will be competing this weekend, though they have new partners.
No American men medaled in 2004. Karch Kiraly, probably the best known men's player, who won Olympic beach gold in Atlanta in 1996, retired last year.
Misty May-Treanor (right) and Kerri Walsh, shown here at the 2007 Beach Volleyball World Championships in Gstaad, Switzerland, won gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. "I hope that the Beijing Olympics goes really well, and it's a huge hit here and AVP capitalizes on sponsorships," said Todd Rogers, who forms the AVP's top male team with 6-9 Phil Dalhausser and will compete for the U.S. in Beijing. "Will that happen? It's tough to say. ... I've seen some things that are disappointing, but I've seen positive things coming around the corner. If those positive things come to fruition, I think we'll be poised to capitalize on Beijing going forward."
May-Treanor said when spectators check out the beach scene, they usually leave with a deeper appreciation than abdominal-ogling.
"Some people get out and think, 'Look at all the bikinis,' " May-Treanor said. "They come back the next day, and it's not because of the bathing suits. It's 'You guys are amazing. How do you do this?' ... They end up changing their tune."
Most Olympic hopefuls play a slate of domestic AVP Tour events (this is just the second stop of the season), along with international FIVB events, where teams earn rankings points to qualify for the Olympics until July 20. Only two teams of each gender make it from one country.
TOP U.S. OLYMPIC HOPEFULS
Here's a look at some of the top American beach volleyball teams heading toward Beijing, which will be the fourth Olympics for the sport.
MISTY MAY-TREANOR AND KERRI WALSH
Age: May-Treanor, 30; Walsh, 29
Height: May-Treanor, 5-9; Walsh, 6-3
Their dominance has hardly lessened, and they're still considered the team to beat in Beijing.
Walsh is competing again after undergoing shoulder surgery during the off-season. In 2007, the team earned the top ranking on the AVP Tour and won the FIVB World Championships.
May-Treanor, who is married to Matt Treanor, a catcher with the Florida Marlins, said the teammates have benefited from age instead of going downhill.
"You can get better with age," May-Treanor said. "I think I'm getting faster. ... But I think experience really comes into play when fatigue sets in. I really feel a lot wiser."
TODD ROGERS AND PHIL DALHAUSSER
Age: Rogers, 34; Dalhausser, 28
Height: Rogers, 6-2; Dalhausser, 6-9
Rogers, a veteran who narrowly missed qualifying for the 2004 Games, saw the talent in raw, 6-9 Dalhausser about three years ago, taking a bit of a risk to pair up with an inexperienced player.
Dalhausser got into the sport playing for fun, but became a professional only after struggling to find a job – he didn't try very hard, he admits – after graduating with a business degree from Central Florida.
The pairing has paid off: The two won the 2007 world championship, the first ever for a U.S. men's beach team, and were the top-ranked AVP team in 2007. Dalhausser was the tour's most valuable player. They could have a chance at medaling, though the Brazilians are favorites to win gold again.
ELAINE YOUNGS AND NICOLE BRANAGH
Age: Youngs, 38; Branagh, 29
Height: Youngs, 6-0; Branagh, 6-2
"EY" won bronze with Holly McPeak in Athens. But the veteran set out looking for a taller teammate about two years ago with Beijing and gold in mind.
"I really want to win the gold medal, and I felt to beat Kerri and Misty, the best players in the world, it's going to take two tall players," said Youngs, who played indoor volleyball for the U.S. in the 1996 Olympics.

Ex-Mav Jackson tries his hand at beach volleyball
09:07 PM CDT on Thursday, April 17, 2008
Jim Jackson, of the Mavericks' "Three J's" during the mostly dismal 1990s, tried beach volleyball Thursday. The AVP Crocs Tour is in town and it invited Jackson to compete in open qualifying with partner Daniel Lindsey of Plano. They lost their match – but did push it to three games.
Jackson, 37, said he's too busy with his real estate business to watch much of the NBA, in which he played for a dozen teams in his career before retiring two years ago.
He often had a tumultuous relationship with backcourt mate Jason Kidd during Kidd's first stint in town.
"I think it's a good thing [he's back]," said Jackson, who shares time between Dallas and his native Ohio. "It probably happened two or three years too late. He's making adjustments. If it would have happened at the beginning of the season, it would have been smoother."

Having a ball as a beach pro
By SHIRLEY JINKINSStar-Telegram Staff Writer
ARLINGTON -- Former Arlington resident Ashley Ivy always brings a good time with her when she visits friends and family.
That's just how it is when you're a professional at beach volleyball, which is played in swimsuits on a court of 3,000 tons of sand.
The Association of Volleyball Professionals Pro Beach Volleyball Tour makes a stop this weekend in Arlington, and Ivy will get to perform for the hometown crowd.
Ivy, 27, graduated from Lamar High School in 1999. She moved to Austin after graduating from Stanford University and trained with an AVP tour player. She has been on the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour for four years, and she moved to Hermosa Beach, Calif., two years ago.
Five questions:
How did you get involved in beach volleyball?
I never played beach until I moved to Austin. There was a little club called Aussie's, and I played it there and I was hooked.
How is beach volleyball different from the regulation game?
The whole aspect of the sport is so social and friendly. You can see all the people, all the fans are right there and you can interact with them. It's played 2 on 2, while the other is played 4 on 6.
What is it like, to play beach volleyball in landlocked cities like Arlington or Phoenix?
It is different, but I think it's kind of cool. It's a lot of fun, because we bring the atmosphere of the beach there. We have some of our best tour events when there are places without an ocean.
Do you still have friends and relatives in Arlington?
Oh, yes. My mom and my grandparents live right next door to each other in central Arlington, and I still have a lot of friends there.
What is the best thing about the tour?
It's great. How many people get to live their dream, play volleyball and get paid for it? I even get to throw out the first pitch at a Rangers game.
If you go
What: 2008 AVP Crocs Tour
When: 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday; and 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Lot N, Baird Farm Road at Pennant Drive.
Tickets: $20 grandstand and $35 courtside for days 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. and Saturday 7:30-10:30 p.m. Three-day pass, $60 grandstand and $95 courtside.
Online: www.avp.com

Opening day of beach volleyball event canceled
03:33 PM CDT on Friday, April 18, 2008
From Staff Reports
The opening day of play in the AVP Crocs Tour Cuervo Gold Crown Dallas Open on Friday was canceled due to overnight weather that caused unplayable sand conditions.
First-round play in the beach volleyball event will begin at 7 a.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday at Lot N of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
The tournament format will be restructured to allow play to be completed at Sunday's scheduled final times of 2:30 p.m. (men) and 4 p.m. (women). All teams scheduled to play will be in action Saturday morning.Friday tickets can be redeemed for Saturday or Sunday

Dallas Open play postponed
Severe weather pushes back play to 1 p.m.
By Bob Thompson / Special to AVP.com
ARLINGTON, Tex. -- A line of Texas-sized thunderstorms wreaked havoc with the AVP Crocs Tour Cuervo Gold Crown Dallas Open, causing play in the tournament to be postponed until Saturday morning.
Severe weather rolled through the Dallas-Fort Worth area late Thursday night and early Friday morning. The high winds and heavy rains caused damage to the temporary courts, tents and bleachers set up in the parking lot at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
Tournament officials originally pushed back Friday's start time from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
A line of several hundred eager fans waited for the gates to open at 12:30. But shortly after 1 p.m., event organizers decided that the tournament would be best served by allowing a full day to clean up the storm damage, recondition the sand courts and re-inspect the bleachers and other areas of the facility.
Friday's postponement will no doubt make for a couple long days this weekend for players, vendors and fans. Still, the day off should make for a better tournament for all involved. "Our first priority is the safety of our players," AVP CEO and Commissioner Leonard Armato said in a release. "We want to be absolutely sure conditions are safe for our athletes so they can, in turn, put on a world-class beach volleyball tournament for our fans."
This is not the first time that weather has fouled up an AVP event in Dallas.
In 1996, the tournament was cancelled due to high winds. History is unlikely to repeat itself, however. The local weather forecast calls for sunny skies for the remainder of the weekend and tournament officials are confident that the event will go off without any further schedule delays beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday.

AVP to introduce Developmental Tour
All five events will be held in Southen California
AVP Press Release
The AVP Crocs Tour will introduce a Developmental Qualifier Tour.
This tour will consist of 5 events, four of which will offer exemptions into main draw tournaments. All five events will offer prize money and will be held in Southern California. These five events are in addition to the regular qualifiers that will take place in the following markets (Miami, Dallas, Huntington, Hermosa, Chicago, Long Beach, and Manhattan Beach).
Qualifier Event Schedule (subject to change)
Qualifier Event 1; April 26-27, 2008; Location: Long Beach -- four teams per gender will earn exemptions into Charleston and Louisville. Register and event information is available at http://www.sinjinvolleyball.com/.
Qualifier Event 2; May 17-18,2008; Location:TBD -- four teams per gender will earn exemptions into Atlanta and Belmar
Qualifier Event 3; June 14-15, 2008; Location:TBD -- eight teams per gender will earn exemptions into Boulder and Brooklyn
Qualifier Event 4; June 28-29, 2008; Location:TBD -- eight teams per gender will earn an exemption into San Diego
Qualifier Event 5; August, 2008; Location:TBD
A total of $250,000 in prize money will be available for the five qualifying tour events. Introducing this Developmental Tour is designed to provide players an opportunity to win earnings from the Developmental Tour and still have an opportunity to participate in select larger draw events, which will help players come out ahead of their costs.
This format will allow the AVP an opportunity to launch and grow a Qualifier Tour which could grow beyond Southern California and provide increased prize money and competition opportunities for players not currently able to qualify on the Crocs Tour.

Olympic-Bound Top Seeds Go Undefeated in Saturday Day Session of AVP Crocs Tour Cuervo Gold Crown Dallas Open
Both top seeds will play quarterfinal matches during Saturday’s night session, starting at 7:30 p.m.; Arlington native Ivy finishes ninth
ARLINGTON, Texas (April 19, 2008) – In an exceptionally action-packed Saturday day session of the AVP Crocs Tour Cuervo Gold Crown Dallas Open, top seeds and Olympic-bound stars Misty May-Treanor/Kerri Walsh and Todd Rogers/ Phil Dalhausser went undefeated. Both will both play their quarterfinal matches during Saturday’s night session, starting at 7:30 p.m.
The AVP Crocs Tour Cuervo Gold Crown Dallas Open, taking place in Lot N of Rangers Ballpark, is the second stop on the AVP’s summer-long tour and is also the second of three events to determine the winner of the Cuervo Gold Crown Series. Sunday play starts at 8 a.m. with the men’s final at 2:30 p.m. and the women’s to follow at 4 p.m. Tickets are available at www.avp.com/dallas and onsite.
May-Treanor and Walsh, No. 1 women’s team on the AVP Crocs Tour who won last week’s season opener in Miami, defeated Alicia Polzin and Janelle Ruen in the first round, 21-18, 21-14, then dispatched ninth-seeded Arlington native Ashley Ivy and her partner Heather Lowe, 21-15, 21-6, to make the quarterfinals.
With the cancellation of Friday play, Saturday was exceptionally busy for all teams, including No. 1 – May-Treanor and Walsh don’t usually play two day matches and a night match in one day.
“It is kind of nice to just keep going so your mind stays on the task at hand,” May-Treanor said.
May-Treanor and Walsh play fourth-seeded Jen Boss and April Ross at 9:30 p.m. during Saturday’s night session on Stadium Court. The winner advances to Sunday’s semifinals. With May-Treanor and Walsh all but locking up the first Olympic spot, Boss and Ross are one of three women’s teams making a push for the second; they sit in second place among those three teams, third overall for the United States.
After losing to May-Treanor and Walsh, Ivy and Lowe lost to third-seeded Tyra Turner and Rachel Wacholder in the contenders’ bracket to finish ninth. Winning the first game, 21-19, Ivy and Lowe were up 10-5 in the second but let Turner and Wacholder back in, eventually dropping the second game, 21-16, and the third, 15-11.
“They’re a good team,” Ivy said. “You usually don’t play the (third) seed in that crossover match. But it doesn’t matter. We needed to step it up because that’s a match we have to win to move on. We did it last week; we got the seventh. We finished ninth this week. I hope that I keep this as my minimum. If this is my bad day, that’s OK. I just hope for a lot more good ones.”
Throughout the tournament, Ivy and Lowe were backed by an ardent throng of at least 30 of Ivy’s family and friends either still local to the area or who traveled in for something of a family reunion.
“You can’t appreciate that enough,” said Ivy, a 1999 graduate of Lamar High. “It was nice to sleep in my old bed from high school, spend time with my family. I hope it comes back here every year.”
For the men, Dalhausser and Rogers defeated Russ Marchewka and Mike Placek, 21-15, 21-13, then beat ninth-seeded Ryan Mariano and Ed Ratledge, 21-17, 21-12. They’ll play in the quarterfinals on Stadium Court Saturday at 8:30 p.m. against Olympic hopefuls Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal, with the winner advancing to Sunday’s semifinals. Gibb and Rosenthal, seeded fourth this week, sit in second place among American men’s teams hoping for a spot in Beijing; Dalhausser and Rogers are in first place with a commanding lead and, like May-Treanor and Walsh, have all but booked their ticket.
Grapevine native Austin Rester fell casualty to the tournament restructuring. Sixteenth-seeded Rester and his partner Albert Hannemann lost, 15-21, 21-18, 15-12, to 17th-seeded Marchewka and Placek. Normally, that would have sent them to the contenders’ bracket, but because the first round became single elimination due to the cancellation of Friday play, that loss eliminated them from the tournament.
The AVP Crocs Tour Cuervo Gold Crown Dallas Open is the second leg of the Cuervo Gold Crown Series, a three-tournament series that includes events in Miami, Dallas and Huntington Beach, Calif. The top men’s and women’s teams emerging from the series will each win a $25,000 bonus check.
At Huntington Beach, the top four men’s and women’s teams in cumulative points after these first three events will go on to compete in a winner-take-all tournament to determine the Cuervo Gold Crown Series champion. This final Cuervo Gold Crown tournament will take place following the Huntington Beach tournament, Sunday, May 4.
About AVP, Inc.
AVP, Inc. is a leading lifestyle sports entertainment company focused on the production, marketing and distribution of professional beach volleyball events worldwide. One of the fastest growing entities in the sports world, the AVP operates two of the industry’s most prominent national outdoor touring series, the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour (1983) and the AVP Hot Winter Nights Indoor Tour (launched in 2008). The AVP is set to stage more than 35 events throughout the United States in 2008 and features more than 150 of the top men and women competitors in the sport. At the 2004 Athens Olympics, AVP athletes representing the United States won gold and bronze. The medals were the first won by the U.S. women in professional beach volleyball, and the 2007 World Champions in each gender are AVP athletes. AVP is headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif., and the company’s stock trades under the symbol AVPI on the OTC Bulletin Board. For more information, please visit www.avp.com.
About Jose Cuervo
Jose Cuervo is the largest producer of Tequila throughout Mexico and around the world. The Jose Cuervo portfolio of Tequilas includes Jose Cuervo Especial, the number one Tequila worldwide, Jose Cuervo Clásico, Jose Cuervo Black Medallion, Jose Cuervo Tradicional, Jose Cuervo Platino, Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia, Jose Cuervo Golden Margaritas, Authentic Jose Cuervo Margaritas and Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix.  For more information, visit www.cuervo.com.
Forward Looking Statements
Some of the information in this press release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of the Company. We wish to caution you that these statements involve risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, if we receive less sponsorship and advertising revenue than anticipated, or if attendance is adversely affected by unfavorable weather. Event-related expenses, such as for the stadium, transportation and accommodations, or security might be greater than expected; or marketing or administrative costs might be increased by our hiring, not currently planned, of a particularly qualified prospect. Additional factors have been detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our recent filings on Forms 10-KSB and 10-QSB.

Ashley Ivy has strong showing in homecoming
Teams with Heather Lowe for ninth-place showing
By Bob Thompson / Special to AVP.com
ARLINGTON, Tex. -- The Cuervo Gold Crown Dallas Open gave Ashley Ivy a rare and pleasant break from hotel beds and restaurant food.
Ivy, in her fourth year on the AVP Tour, grew up just a few miles from the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, site of this week's second stop on the 2008 AVP Tour.
"I actually slept in the same bed that I slept in when I was in high school," said Ivy, a 1999 graduate of Lamar High School in Arlington. "It feels so nice to be home because other than Thanksgiving and Christmas I don't make it back too often."
Ivy put on a great show for the local fans. She and playing partner Heather Lowe won their first two matches of the day before falling to the top-seeded team of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh in round three.
Ivy and Lowe, seeded ninth, had the third-seeded team of Tyra Turner and Rachel Wacholder on the ropes after winning the first game of the match in the contender's bracket, but Turner and Wacholder rallied to move one as Ivy and Lowe wound up in ninth place.
Ivy wasn't the only player with ties to the Lone Star State. Austin Rester grew up in North Dallas in Grapevine and graduated from Colleyville Heritage High School in 2000. Rester also had a large rooting section on hand Saturday, many of whom had to wake up at around 5:30 AM to make sure they weren't late for his 7 a.m. start time.
He and playing partner Albert Hannemann, seeded 16th in the tournament, were eliminated by Russ Marchewka and Mike Placek in the first match of the day. The early exit did allow Rester, a Texas Tech graduate, the chance to spend the rest of the day hanging out with friends and family members in the VIP tent. His parents even brought an RV so they could tailgate in the parking lot.
"It was kind of a bummer because a lot of my friends were planning on coming this afternoon to watch me play and by 8:30 we were done," said Rester, who is in his third season on the tour. "Hey, you don't ever want to go one-and-done, but sometimes it happens. It's still been a great weekend because I got to hang out with a lot of people that I never get to see."
Carrie Dodd played her college ball in Austin at the University of Texas. Friday's unexpected weather postponement gave Dodd a little time to catch up with her sister, who lives in nearby Lewisville.
"Volleyball has always been big in Texas and it just continues to grow," said Dodd, who posted one of her best finishes of the season last year in Dallas, finishing 5th. "It's always a fun stop for me."
A homecoming weekend can present some unique challenges for the players. In addition to their usual tournament preparation, they're forced to juggle everything from lining up guest credentials to showing other players around town at night and catching up with old friends and family members.
"It takes you out of your routine a little bit because you have a few more obligations," Rester said.
Still, once the tournament starts, the players don't feel any extra pressure to perform well. If anything, having so much support in the stands takes the edge off.
"A lot of these people have seen me play since I was in middle school and followed me for my whole career," Ivy said. "They're going to love me no matter what happens."

First day of Dallas Open yields few surprises
Dalhausser and Rogers cruise into quarters
By Bob Thompson / Special to AVP.com
ARLINGTON, Tex. -- They had to wait an extra day to get on the courts, but the top seeds fared well, for the most part, on the first day of the $200,000 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Dallas Open.
Friday's weather-related postponement made for long day for the players, officials and tournament workers on Saturday. Play began at 7 a.m. and continued through the night session.
The top-seeded men's team of Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers cruised into the quarterfinals, beating Russ Marchewka and Mike Placek, 21-15, 21-13, in the first match. Dalhausser and Rogers then rolled over the 9th-seeded pair of Ryan Mariano and Ed Ratledge, 21-17, 21-12 in the next match, setting up a showdown with Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal in one of Saturday night's featured matches.
The trip through the bracket was a little tougher for Gibb and Rosenthal. The duo had to rally past Mike Morrison and Ty Tramblie, 19-21, 21-19, 17-15 in their first match, but had an easier time in the next round, beating Matt Olson and Kevin Wong in two games, 21-14, 21-18.
Dalhausser and Rogers are looking for back-to-back wins to open the 2008. The two also won the event last year as the AVP Tour returned to Dallas after a seven-year absence. Matt Fuerbringer and Casey Jennings await the winner of the Dalhausser/Rogers-Gibb/Rosenthal match, while the loser drops into the Contender's Bracket.
Fuerbringer and Jennings, the tournament's No. 2 seed, marched through their half of the bracket. They knocked off Vincent Robbins and Adam Roberts 21-18, 21-17 in their first match and beat Pedro Brazao and Jose Loiola 21-18, 21-12. That set up a clash with the third-seeded team of Anthony Medel and Fred Souza, which Fuerbringer and Jennings quickly dispatched with a 21-13, 21-11 win.
On the women's side, the bracket played out as expected on the first day with one notable exception. The third-seeded team of Tyra Turner and Rachel Wacholder was upset in its first match by Michelle More and Suzanne Stonebarger, who came into the tournament seeded 14th.
Turner and Wacholder are still alive in the tournament, though, after fighting through the Contender's Bracket with wins over Angela McHenry and Lisa Rutledge as well as Ashley Ivy and Heather Lowe.
Top-seeded Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh also cruised to a pair of two-game victories, beating Alicia Pozin and Janelle Ruen 21-18, 21-14 and rolling over Ivy and Lowe 21-15, 21-6.
May-Treanor and Walsh, coming off a season-opening victory last weekend in Miami, will face the fourth-seeded team of Jennifer Boss and April Ross in the night session. Boss and Ross knocked off Sara Dukes and Chrissie Zartman 21-12, 21-12 in their first match and beat fifth-seeded Dianne DeNecochea and Barbara Fontana, 21-16, 21-16 to move on in the Winner's Bracket.

Top seeds triumph in Dallas finals
Both triumph in tough, three-set matches in Arlington
By Bob Thompson / Special to AVP.com
ARLINGTON, Tex. -- Sean Rosenthal plopped himself down on a chair in the interview area following Sunday's championship final at the ATP Crocs Tour Cuervo Gold Crown Dallas Open at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
"Oh well, what do you know, another week, another second-place finish," Rosenthal said with more than a little aggravation in his tone. "Maybe next week we'll find a way to beat those guys."
It was hard to blame Rosenthal, or playing partner Jake Gibb, for being a little exasperated after losing to top-seeded Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser for the second time in less than 24 hours, and in similar, gut-wrenching fashion.
"Good enough to win is good enough," said a smiling Rogers after he and Dalhausser rallied to win 16-21, 21-16, 15-12 to capture their second straight tournament title to open the 2008 season.
If anyone can relate to Rosenthal and Gibbs' plight, it would be Elaine Youngs and Rachel Branagh on the women's side.
They're having an equally tough time breaking through against perennial No. 1 seeds Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. For the second straight week, May-Treanor and Walsh found a way to overtake Youngs and Branagh in the final game to win a championship after being down early in the match.
"It's beyond frustrating," said an emotional Branagh, whose team led 13-11 in the third game only to watch May-Treanor and Walsh score the final four points of the match to win 17-21, 21-14, 15-13. "They just know my tendencies, and they played to that at the end. That's why they are who they are. They can turn it on when they need to."
It figures to be a familiar refrain this season as the other top contenders desperately try to find a way to solve the most dominant teams on the circuit.
Rogers and Dalhausser have now won 20 of 33 AVP events they've competed in and improved their match record to 10-0 to start this season.
May-Treanor and Walsh have been even more impressive, winning 22 of their past 25 AVP events and running their record to 53-7 in AVP championship matches.
Perhaps the scariest thing for the other teams in the field is neither team feels it's even close to top form so far.
"We feel like we stole these first two tournaments," Walsh said. "We're still trying to find our rhythm out there, but Misty and I have played together for so long now we just have this confidence about us. We never feel like a match is out of reach, and I think that confidence sometimes rattles our opponents."
Neither duo is worried about the state of its game even if it seems as if some of its chief rivals are gaining a little ground on them.
Both teams have virtually locked up spots on this summer's U.S. Olympic Team, and hope to be playing their best volleyball leading up to the Beijing Games.
"I feel like we've got a long way to go to be where we want to be," Dalhausser said. "We can't continue to come out flat and drop the first game, especially in the finals. We know everybody is going to be gunning for us, and eventually these slow starts are going to get us beat. But we've got plenty of time to get everything worked out, and we will."
Meanwhile, top contenders like Rosenthal and Gibb on the men's side and Youngs and Branagh one the women's, must settle for pushing their more celebrated rivals to the brink every week in hopes of landing that all-important second spot on the Olympic Team.
They may be taking their lumps now, but Rosenthal can picture a different ending one day in the not-so-distant future.
"If our only victory of the year over them is in the gold medal match in Beijing, I'll take it," Rosenthal said. "We've just got to keep putting pressure on them, and eventually we'll start winning more than we lose."

Photos 2007:

AVP Tour Talk–Dallas pics Last Year 2007

From: amjones

Friday
http://www.picasaweb.google.com/alanmjones/2007DallasAVPFriday

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May 1st-4th 2008 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown SERIES HUNTINGTON OPEN
 HuntingtonBeach,CA $200,000
   

Event Facts
Event Start Date:Friday, May.2nd, 2008
Prize Money:$200,000.00

Webcams:

  WaveWatch

  Huntington Beach Webcam

Event Links:                                                                        Scott Davenport
                                                                                             Photo By Lynn Chu 

- Ian Clark played the 2002 & 2004 Huntington Beach Open with Scott Davenport and the 2003 event with Chip McCaw.
- This year Ian Clark will not be playing the 2008 Huntington Beach Open due to prior commitments.

  AVP Tour Event Coverage

(Format: Double Elimination)

* Ian Clark's Year 2004 Results

13th - Ian Clark/Scott Davenport             $1050.00

Match Results:

Winner's Bracket
Round 1
Match 7: Jim Nichols / Matt Olson (13) def. Ian Clark / Scott Davenport (20) 22-20, 25-23 (0:45)

Contender's Bracket
Round 1
Match 34: Ian Clark / Scott Davenport (20) def. Nick Hannemann / Mark Paaluhi (29, Q14) 21-12, 21-15 (0:39)
Round 2
Match 42: Ian Clark / Scott Davenport (20) def. Chip McCaw / Alika Williams (19) 19-21, 21-15, 15-8 (0:54)
Round 3
Match 48: Casey Jennings / Matt Fuerbringer (6) def. Ian Clark / Scott Davenport (20) 14-21, 21-10, 15-9 (0:58)

-With a match record of (2) wins & (2) losses Ian Clark/Scott Davenport finish 13th at the 2004 Nissan Huntington Beach Open

   

AVP Quervo Gold Crown Huntington Beach Open

AVP Huntington Beach Open History:

2004-2006 Champions

Women:
Kerri Walsh and Misty May: May and Walsh continued their impressive streak by posting the following numbers. 12 -- The number of consecutive tournaments won on the AVP Tour. 15 -- The number of consecutive tournament victories (AVP and FIVB). 58 -- The number of overall games that May & Walsh have won (the last 28 matches have been sweeps). 60 -- The number of matches won on the AVP Tour (with no losses). 86 -- The streak of consecutive matches won on both tours.

2005 Champions: Rachel Wacholder and Elaine Youngs defeated Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. Mike Lambert and Karch Kiraly defeated Larry Witt and Sean Rosenthal.
2005 AVP Championship Series: Huntington Beach was the third of five AVP Championship Series Events. The Women's finals pitted Elaine Youngs / Rachel Wacholder against Misty May-Trainer / Kerri Walsh for the fourth consecutive event, including the previous two AVP Championship Events. Wacholder / Youngs swept May-Treanor / Walsh, who had not been swept in a finals since July 5, 2003. 2004 MVP Mike Lambert and Beach Volleyball Legend Karch Kiraly reformed their playing partnership in Huntington. The duo did not drop a match on their run to the championship.
Huntington Beach Facts: The first Men's Huntington Beach Open took place in 1975 and was won by Jim Menges / Greg Lee. The Men returned to Huntington Beach in 1999 where Adam Johnson / Karch Kiraly would win. Kiraly is the Men's all-time win leader with three Huntington Beach Titles. The Women's first Huntington Beach Open took place in 1989 and was won by Patty Dodd / Jackie Silva. Dodd went on to win the next two Huntington Beach Opens teaming with Silva and then Karolyn Kirby. Holly McPeak is the all-time leader in Huntington Beach Victories with four. 2005 Champions Kiraly and Rachel Wacholder both grew up in Orange County.

2006-Rachel Wacholder, winner of the 2005 AVP Huntington Beach Open, grew up in Orange County. As a prep, Wacholder was named Ms. California, the state's top high school volleyball award

2008 AVP Cuervo Gold Crown SERIES
HUNTINGTON OPEN

Schedule of Events
   
Tickets

 
Huntington Beach Reserved Section Tickets - Buy Now

Men's and Women's Main Draw Competition
Gates open 30 minutes prior to event start time.

Friday, May 2nd, 2008
9:30 a.m
.
Saturday, May 3rd, 2008
9:30 a.m.
 
Sunday, May 4th, 2008
9:45 a.m.

Ticket Prices
Sections Price
General Admission $20.00
Courtside Seating $40.00
Student/Youth * $10.00
* Must be 18 years of age or younger and present valid school ID 
  
Print Tickets at Home
Print your AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Huntington Beach Open tickets at home after you make your purchase from avp.com!
Find out how >

GA Group Tickets
Coming soon.
Group Ticket prices
GA Group Pricing (15-49 tickets)   $17.00
GA Group Pricing (50-99 tickets)   $15.00
GA Group Pricing (100 or more)    $12.00
 
How To Get There 
South side of the pier
Main Street at Pacific Coast Hwy.
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Beach access at 103 PCH

Map
405 freeway to Beach Blvd. exit. Take Beach Blvd. west to the end (Pacific Coast Highway). Turn right on PCH and go all the way to the pier. There is ample parking on each side of the pier

What:
AVP 2008 Cuervo Gold Crown Series Huntington Beach Open

Where:
South Side of the Pier
285 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach

When:
Thursday, May 1st, 2008
Men's and Women's Qualifier Competition
Gates open at 8:00 a.m.
Competition start time 8:00 a.m.
Competition End Time (Approx) 6:00 p.m.
Free Admission

Friday, May 2, 2008
Men's and Women's Main Draw Competition
Gates open at 9:00 a.m.
Competition start time 9:30 a.m.
Competition End Time (Approx) 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 3, 2008
Men's and Women's Main Draw Competition
Gates open at 9:00 a.m.
Competition start time 9:30 a.m.
Competition End Time (Approx) 5:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 4, 2008
Men's and Women's Main Draw Competition
Gates open at 9:15 a.m.
Competition start time 9:45 a.m.
Men's Finals 2:30 p.m.
Women's Finals 30 minutes following the completion of men's finals (Approx 4:00 p.m.)
Competition End Time (Approx) 5:30 p.m.

Event Information:
Main Draw
•  32 Teams, 13 Courts
•  22 automatic entries, 2 exemptions

Qualifier
•  68 Men's and Women's teams
•  8 teams advance via Qualifier

Finals
•  MEN: 2:30 p.m. on Sunday 5/6
•  WOMEN: 30 minutes after men's finals (approx 4:00 p.m.) on Sunday 5/6

* Click here to register now!

Youth Clinics
Hilton AVP Youth Indoor to Outdoor Transition Clinics are for all volleyball players between the ages of 12-18. Clinics are held onsite at AVP events and are free.
Download Registration Form to Sign Up!
•  Huntington Beach Youth Clinic Form
   [Microsoft Word Document]

AVP Video :
Watch LIVE action

Television:

AVP 2007 TV Schedule
Schedule

-Catch all the Men's and Women's 2007 AVP Finals action on FSN.
Click here to find AVP broadcast times on your local FSN provider.

*All air times are regional. Please check local listings for viewing times.

MSN TV WEB SEARCH
http://tv.msn.com/tv/

Beach Volleyball: Listings Search Results

Men:

Todd Rogers&Phil Dallhauser
Dax Holdren & Billy Strickland
Sean Scott & Nick Lucena
John Hyden&Brad Keenan
Mark Williams & Stein Metzger
Jake Gibb & Sean Rosenthal
 

Women:
Holly McPeak & Angie Akers
Nicole Branagh & Elaine Youngs
Jen Kessey Boss & April Ross
Kerri Walsh & Misty May
Tyra Turner & Rachel Wacholder
Barbara Fontana & Dianne DeNecochea

Sponsor Activitys:

Bud Light
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Be a part of the Bud Light Party Zone.  Look for Bud Light onsite to find out more information.

Aquafina
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Aquafina Purity Patrol is coming to the beach with tons of fun activities in the sun.  Compete in the the Aquafina Obstacle Course, Aquafina/ Wilson Speed Serve/ and "Return to Aquafina" hitting challenges.  See how you stand up against AVP Pros and your friends and win cool prizes. 

Xbox
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit Xbox at the beach and challenge your friends in the latest and greatest Xbox Game titles.  You can be King and sit in Xbox's "King of the Court" seats, the hottest seats on stadium court all weekend long or for the Men's and Women's finals.  You'll be front row in your Xbox visor, t-shirt, tattoo and much more watching the pro beach stars battle for number one.

Paul Mitchell
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stop by on Saturday for samples and give-aways.  On Sunday, come by for $10 Cut-a-thon and get your hair cut and styled by one of Paul Mitchell's talented stylists.  Profits go to Eric Fonoimoana's "Dig For Kids" Foundation.  You'll walk around the beach looking fantastic, and for a good cause.

ChapStick 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Take a break from the heat in one of ChapStick's four Fan Lounges equipped with a moisture tent, multiple beach chairs, games, tubes of ChapStick LipMoisturizer and other fun give-aways.  Don't miss your opportunity with Misty May who will be making appearances throughout the weekend for autograph signings and photo opportunities.

Wrigleys
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Long Lasting Flavor, Extra's Got It! Stop By the Wrigley Booth for a free sample of Wrigley's Extra gum

Nature Valley Granola Bars 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whether you're out on the court or watching from up in the stands, Nature Valley Granola Bars are a natural source of energy.  Make sure to stop by the Nature Valley tent to pick up a free sample.  Nature Valley - The Energy Bar Nature Intended. 

Dig Magazine
 



The next best thing to being at an AVP event!!
Official Magazine of the AVP Tour
Volleyball • Lifestyle • Competition
6 issues for just $18
Call toll free to subscribe:
1 800-999-9718
Or go to digvb.com
to subscribe
Get a DIG t-shirt for just $6 when you subscribe for six issues.
DIG is published six times April through October around AVP events.

Event Dates
2008 AVP Tour Schedule
Date Event Prize Site Tickets Info
2008 AVP Schedule
April 11 - 13--Miami, FL
April 18 - 20--Dallas, TX
May 02 -04--Huntington Beach, CA
May 08 - 10--Charleston, SC
May 24 - 26--Louisville, KY
May 30 - June 01--Atlanta,GA
June 06 - 08--Hermosa Beach, CA
June 20 - 22-- Belmar,NJ
July 04 - 06--Boulder,CO
July 11 - 13--Chicago, IL
July 18 - 20--Brooklyn, NY
July 25-27--Long Beach,CA
Aug 01-03--SanDiego,CA
Aug 09-21--Qlympics Beijing,China
Aug 29-31--Cincinnati OH
Sept 06-07--SantaBarbara,CA
Sept 12 - 14--San Francisco, CA
Sept 19 - 21--Manhattan Beach, CA
Sept 26 - 28--Glendale, AZ

Men's 2008 Results:

Men's $100,000 AVP Gold Crown Huntington Beach
May 1-3, 2008
Finish     Player     Partner     Seed     Winnings     Points      
1     Phil Dalhausser      Todd Rogers      1      $20,000.00      360
2     John Hyden     Brad Keenan     3     $15,000.00     324
3     Matt Fuerbringer     Casey Jennings     2     $9,500.00     270
3     Stein Metzger     Mark Williams     6     $9,500.00     270    
5     Jake Gibb     Sean Rosenthal     4     $6,000.00     216.0     
5     Nick Lucena     Sean Scott     7     $6,000.00     216.0     
7     Ty Loomis     Hans Stolfus     9     $4,650.00     180.0     
7     Matt Olson     Kevin Wong     12     $4,650.00     180.0     
9     Anthony Medel     Fred Souza     5     $2,875.00     144.0     
9     Jason Ring     Aaron Wachtfogel     8     $2,875.00     144.0     
9     Dax Holdren     Will Strickland     11     $2,875.00     144.0     
9     Braidy Halverson     Jason Lee     24, Q3     $2,875.00     144.0     
13     Pedro Brazao     Jose Loiola     13     $1,700.00     108.0     
13     Russ Marchewka     Mike Placek     15     $1,700.00     108.0     
13     Adam Jewell     Jeff Nygaard     16     $1,700.00     108.0     
13     Brent Doble     Dane Jensen     19     $1,700.00     108.0     
17     Ryan Mariano     Ed Ratledge     10     $800.00     72.0     
17     Jeff Carlucci     John Mayer     14     $800.00     72.0     
17     Dain Blanton     Eric Fonoimoana     17     $800.00     72.0     
17     Paul Baxter     Canyon Ceman     18     $800.00     72.0     
17     Albert Hannemann     Austin Rester     20     $800.00     72.0     
17     Mike Morrison     Ty Tramblie     21, Q1     $800.00     72.0     
17     Scott Ayakatubby     Larry Witt     22, Q2     $800.00     72.0     
17     Billy Allen     AJ Mihalic     23, Q5     $800.00     72.0     
25     John Moran     Casey Patterson     Q4     $0.00     36.0     
25     Jonathan Acosta     Leonardo Moraes     Q9     $0.00     36.0     
25     Ihor Akinshyn     Justin Phipps     Q10     $0.00     36.0     
25     Travis Schoonover     Aaron Wexler     Q22     $0.00     36.0     
29     Scott Davenport     Brad Torsone     Q6     $0.00     18.0     
29     Kevin Dake     Jason Wight     Q7     $0.00     18.0     
29     David Fischer     Scott Hill     Q8     $0.00     18.0     
29     Gabe Burt     Kyle Denitz     Q13     $0.00     18.0     
29     Duncan Budinger     Clint Coe     Q14     $0.00     18.0     
29     Mike Desjardins     Paul McDonald     Q17     $0.00     18.0     
29     Matt Davis     Jon Mackey     Q21     $0.00     18.0     
29     Darin McBain     John Pecora     Q47     $0.00     18.0     
37     Mike Bruning     Jesse Rambis     Q11     $0.00     12.0     
37     Ivan Mercer     Jeff Murrell     Q12     $0.00     12.0     
37     Shigetomo Sakugawa     Soeren Schneider     Q16     $0.00     12.0     
37     Erik Gomez     Vince Zanzucchi     Q19     $0.00     12.0     
37     Lucas Black     William Osmond     Q23     $0.00     12.0     
37     Reuben Danley     Jerry Stevens     Q24     $0.00     12.0     
37     Kevin McColloch     Jim Nichols     Q26     $0.00     12.0     
37     Art Barron     Mike Szymanski     Q27     $0.00     12.0     
37     Sean Mackin     Matt Osburn     Q30     $0.00     12.0     
37     Esteban Escobar     Jeff Smith     Q32     $0.00     12.0     
37     John Braunstein     Ed Lunnen     Q34     $0.00     12.0     
37     Tim Church     Jerry Graham     Q36     $0.00     12.0     
37     Eric Leeseberg     Derek Sorensen     Q37     $0.00     12.0     
37     Phil Silva     Bryan Stewart     Q40     $0.00     12.0     
37     Griffin Cogorno     Erik Perrine     Q45     $0.00     12.0     
37     Theodore Brunner     Andy McGuire     Q50     $0.00     12.0     
53     Danko Iordanov     Lucas Wisniakowski     Q15     $0.00     8.0     
53     Kevin Gregan     Dan Madden     Q18     $0.00     8.0     
53     Tony Pray     Brock Redmond     Q20     $0.00     8.0     
53     Chris Harger     Jesse Webster     Q25     $0.00     8.0     
53     Yariv Lerner     Curt Toppel     Q28     $0.00     8.0     
53     Evan Engle     Steven VanderWerp     Q29     $0.00     8.0     
53     Connor Hastings     John Wankner     Q31     $0.00     8.0     
53     Alex Padilla     Tim Ryan     Q33     $0.00     8.0     
53     Chris Magill     Bivin Sadler     Q35     $0.00     8.0     
53     Vince Fierro     Jed Stotsenberg     Q38     $0.00     8.0     
53     Chad Wick     Joe Woo     Q39     $0.00     8.0     
53     Todd Hollenbeck     Jonathan Scott     Q41     $0.00     8.0     
53     Daniel Schwartz     Josh Williams     Q42     $0.00     8.0     
53     Brad Powell     Russell Tanner     Q43     $0.00     8.0     
53     Tony Epie     Bill Maik     Q44     $0.00     8.0     
53     Patrick Munoz     Naseri Tumanuvao     Q46     $0.00     8.0     
53     Kevin Jones     Chris Littleman     Q48     $0.00     8.0     
53     Mika Hunkin     Tyler Lucas     Q49     $0.00     8.0     
53     Nate Hagstrom     Tyler Hagstrom     Q51     $0.00     8.0     
53     Brian Kwasny     Amitai Strutin     Q52     $0.00     8.0     
53     Ugis Kanders     Luis Sandoval     Q53     $0.00     8.0     
53     Michael Amiri     Joe Burghardt     Q54     $0.00     8.0     
53     Steven Garner     Josh Goodman     Q55     $0.00     8.0     
53     Przemyslaw Ungehoer     Brian Young     Q56     $0.00     8.0     
53     Nick Maksimuk     Rolando Villanueva     Q57     $0.00     8.0     
53     J. Derek Gertzen     Caleb Jeffries     Q58     $0.00     8.0   

Women's $100,000 AVP Gold Crown Huntington Beach
May 1-3, 2008

Qualifier Bracket

Round 1
Match 2: Esteban Escobar / Jeff Smith (Q32) def. Alex Padilla / Tim Ryan (Q33) 19-21, 21-14, 15-12 (0:58)
Match 3: Mike Desjardins / Paul McDonald (Q17) def. Kevin Jones / Chris Littleman (Q48) 21-12, 23-21 (0:44)
Match 4: Shigetomo Sakugawa / Soeren Schneider (Q16) def. Mika Hunkin / Tyler Lucas (Q49) 21-18, 21-9 (0:39)
Match 5: Jonathan Acosta / Leonardo Moraes (Q9) def. Przemyslaw Ungehoer / Brian Young (Q56) 21-15, 21-10 (0:49)
Match 6: Reuben Danley / Jerry Stevens (Q24) def. Todd Hollenbeck / Jonathan Scott (Q41) 21-9, 21-9 (0:32)
Match 7: Phil Silva / Bryan Stewart (Q40) def. Chris Harger / Jesse Webster (Q25) 23-21, 21-17 (0:50)
Match 8: David Fischer / Scott Hill (Q8) def. Nick Maksimuk / Rolando Villanueva (Q57) 21-19, 21-14 (0:42)
Match 10: Eric Leeseberg / Derek Sorensen (Q37) def. Yariv Lerner / Curt Toppel (Q28) 21-14, 21-15 (0:41)
Match 11: Matt Davis / Jon Mackey (Q21) def. Tony Epie / Bill Maik (Q44) 21-19, 21-10 (0:40)
Match 12: Ivan Mercer / Jeff Murrell (Q12) def. Ugis Kanders / Luis Sandoval (Q53) 21-12, 21-17 (0:42)
Match 13: Gabe Burt / Kyle Denitz (Q13) def. Brian Kwasny / Amitai Strutin (Q52) 21-15, 21-10 (0:34)
Match 14: Griffin Cogorno / Erik Perrine (Q45) def. Tony Pray / Brock Redmond (Q20) 22-20, 21-15 (0:52)
Match 15: Tim Church / Jerry Graham (Q36) def. Evan Engle / Steven VanderWerp (Q29) 13-21, 21-19, 15-11 (0:48)
Match 18: Sean Mackin / Matt Osburn (Q30) def. Chris Magill / Bivin Sadler (Q35) 26-24, 21-12 (0:51)
Match 19: Erik Gomez / Vince Zanzucchi (Q19) def. Patrick Munoz / Naseri Tumanuvao (Q46) 21-11, 21-15 (0:37)
Match 20: Duncan Budinger / Clint Coe (Q14) def. Nate Hagstrom / Tyler Hagstrom (Q51) 21-16, 21-15 (0:50)
Match 21: Mike Bruning / Jesse Rambis (Q11) def. Michael Amiri / Joe Burghardt (Q54) 21-8, 21-9 (0:31)
Match 22: Travis Schoonover / Aaron Wexler (Q22) def. Brad Powell / Russell Tanner (Q43) 23-21, 21-13 (0:41)
Match 23: Art Barron / Mike Szymanski (Q27) def. Vince Fierro / Jed Stotsenberg (Q38) 21-19, 21-14 (0:42)
Match 25: Kevin Dake / Jason Wight (Q7) def. J. Derek Gertzen / Caleb Jeffries (Q58) 21-2, 21-9 (0:27)
Match 26: Kevin McColloch / Jim Nichols (Q26) def. Chad Wick / Joe Woo (Q39) 21-14, 21-10 (0:36)
Match 27: Lucas Black / William Osmond (Q23) def. Daniel Schwartz / Josh Williams (Q42) 19-21, 21-18, 17-15 (1:00)
Match 28: Ihor Akinshyn / Justin Phipps (Q10) def. Steven Garner / Josh Goodman (Q55) 21-15, 21-18 (0:41)
Match 29: Theodore Brunner / Andy McGuire (Q50) def. Danko Iordanov / Lucas Wisniakowski (Q15) 21-17, 21-17 (0:44)
Match 30: Darin McBain / John Pecora (Q47) def. Kevin Gregan / Dan Madden (Q18) 21-17, 15-21, 15-10 (0:52)
Match 31: John Braunstein / Ed Lunnen (Q34) def. Connor Hastings / John Wankner (Q31) 21-17, 21-13 (0:41)

Round 2
Match 33: Mike Morrison / Ty Tramblie (21, Q1) def. Esteban Escobar / Jeff Smith (Q32) 21-15, 21-14 (0:43)
Match 34: Mike Desjardins / Paul McDonald (Q17) def. Shigetomo Sakugawa / Soeren Schneider (Q16) 21-17, 21-18 (0:41)
Match 35: Jonathan Acosta / Leonardo Moraes (Q9) def. Reuben Danley / Jerry Stevens (Q24) 21-12, 25-27, 15-8 (0:59)
Match 36: David Fischer / Scott Hill (Q8) def. Phil Silva / Bryan Stewart (Q40) 21-14, 21-14 (0:38)
Match 37: Billy Allen / AJ Mihalic (23, Q5) def. Eric Leeseberg / Derek Sorensen (Q37) 19-21, 21-14, 15-9 (0:55)
Match 38: Matt Davis / Jon Mackey (Q21) def. Ivan Mercer / Jeff Murrell (Q12) 21-14, 15-21, 15-8 (0:53)
Match 39: Gabe Burt / Kyle Denitz (Q13) def. Griffin Cogorno / Erik Perrine (Q45) 21-19, 21-14 (0:52)
Match 40: John Moran / Casey Patterson (Q4) def. Tim Church / Jerry Graham (Q36) 21-15, 21-15 (0:34)
Match 41: Braidy Halverson / Jason Lee (24, Q3) def. Sean Mackin / Matt Osburn (Q30) 21-15, 21-18 (0:42)
Match 42: Duncan Budinger / Clint Coe (Q14) def. Erik Gomez / Vince Zanzucchi (Q19) 24-22, 21-16 (0:48)
Match 43: Travis Schoonover / Aaron Wexler (Q22) def. Mike Bruning / Jesse Rambis (Q11) 22-20, 22-20 (0:49)
Match 44: Scott Davenport / Brad Torsone (Q6) def. Art Barron / Mike Szymanski (Q27) 22-20, 17-21, 15-11 (1:10)
Match 45: Kevin Dake / Jason Wight (Q7) def. Kevin McColloch / Jim Nichols (Q26) 22-24, 21-15, 15-12 (1:03)
Match 46: Ihor Akinshyn / Justin Phipps (Q10) def. Lucas Black / William Osmond (Q23) 15-21, 21-19, 15-11 (0:55)
Match 47: Darin McBain / John Pecora (Q47) def. Theodore Brunner / Andy McGuire (Q50) 25-23, 16-21, 15-10 (0:58)
Match 48: Scott Ayakatubby / Larry Witt (22, Q2) def. John Braunstein / Ed Lunnen (Q34) 21-15, 21-15 (0:38)

Round 3
Match 49: Mike Morrison / Ty Tramblie (21, Q1) def. Mike Desjardins / Paul McDonald (Q17) 21-14, 21-16 (0:44)
Match 50: Jonathan Acosta / Leonardo Moraes (Q9) def. David Fischer / Scott Hill (Q8) 19-21, 21-15, 16-14 (1:05)
Match 51: Billy Allen / AJ Mihalic (23, Q5) def. Matt Davis / Jon Mackey (Q21) 21-17, 21-11 (0:51)
Match 52: John Moran / Casey Patterson (Q4) def. Gabe Burt / Kyle Denitz (Q13) 21-17, 21-19 (0:49)
Match 53: Braidy Halverson / Jason Lee (24, Q3) def. Duncan Budinger / Clint Coe (Q14) 21-18, 21-13 (0:44)
Match 54: Travis Schoonover / Aaron Wexler (Q22) def. Scott Davenport / Brad Torsone (Q6) 21-9, 21-13 (0:43)
Match 55: Ihor Akinshyn / Justin Phipps (Q10) def. Kevin Dake / Jason Wight (Q7) 21-13, 21-18 (0:48)
Match 56: Scott Ayakatubby / Larry Witt (22, Q2) def. Darin McBain / John Pecora (Q47) 21-12, 21-12 (0:40)

Round 4
Match 57: Mike Morrison / Ty Tramblie (21, Q1) def. Jonathan Acosta / Leonardo Moraes (Q9) 21-8, 21-15 (0:40)
Match 58: Billy Allen / AJ Mihalic (23, Q5) def. John Moran / Casey Patterson (Q4) 21-19, 21-18 (0:40)
Match 59: Braidy Halverson / Jason Lee (24, Q3) def. Travis Schoonover / Aaron Wexler (Q22) 21-12, 21-11 (0:41)
Match 60: Scott Ayakatubby / Larry Witt (22, Q2) def. Ihor Akinshyn / Justin Phipps (Q10) 21-15, 22-20 (0:42)

Winner's Bracket

Round 1
Match 1: Dain Blanton / Eric Fonoimoana (17) def. Adam Jewell / Jeff Nygaard (16) 18-21, 22-20, 15-12 (1:09)     
Match 2: Ty Loomis / Hans Stolfus (9) def. Braidy Halverson / Jason Lee (24, Q3) 18-21, 21-19, 16-14 (1:09)
Match 3: Matt Olson / Kevin Wong (12) def. Mike Morrison / Ty Tramblie (21, Q1) 21-16, 21-10 (0:46)
Match 4: Albert Hannemann / Austin Rester (20) def. Pedro Brazao / Jose Loiola (13) 20-22, 21-15, 27-25 (1:29)
Match 5: Jeff Carlucci / John Mayer (14) def. Brent Doble / Dane Jensen (19) 18-21, 21-19, 15-8 (1:09)
Match 6: Dax Holdren / Will Strickland (11) def. Scott Ayakatubby / Larry Witt (22, Q2) 22-20, 21-16 (0:45)
Match 7: Ryan Mariano / Ed Ratledge (10) def. Billy Allen / AJ Mihalic (23, Q5) 21-16, 21-9 (0:39)
Match 8: Paul Baxter / Canyon Ceman (18) def. Russ Marchewka / Mike Placek (15) 21-17, 24-26, 15-11 (1:18)

Round 2
Match 9: Phil Dalhausser / Todd Rogers (1) def. Dain Blanton / Eric Fonoimoana (17) 21-16, 21-15 (0:45)
Match 10: Jason Ring / Aaron Wachtfogel (8) def. Ty Loomis / Hans Stolfus (9) 21-18, 18-21, 15-13 (1:13)
Match 11: Matt Olson / Kevin Wong (12) def. Anthony Medel / Fred Souza (5) 21-18, 21-18 (0:50)
Match 12: Jake Gibb / Sean Rosenthal (4) def. Albert Hannemann / Austin Rester (20) 21-18, 21-13 (0:43)
Match 13: John Hyden / Brad Keenan (3) def. Jeff Carlucci / John Mayer (14) 21-13, 21-16 (0:37)
Match 14: Dax Holdren / Will Strickland (11) def. Stein Metzger / Mark Williams (6) 21-17, 13-21, 15-9 (0:59)
Match 15: Nick Lucena / Sean Scott (7) def. Ryan Mariano / Ed Ratledge (10) 19-21, 21-14, 15-12 (1:09)
Match 16: Matt Fuerbringer / Casey Jennings (2) def. Paul Baxter / Canyon Ceman (18) 21-16, 21-17 (0:51)

Round 3
Match 17: Phil Dalhausser / Todd Rogers (1) def. Jason Ring / Aaron Wachtfogel (8) 21-13, 19-21, 15-8 (1:08)     
Match 18: Jake Gibb / Sean Rosenthal (4) def. Matt Olson / Kevin Wong (12) 26-24, 18-21, 15-11 (1:15)
Match 19: John Hyden / Brad Keenan (3) def. Dax Holdren / Will Strickland (11) 21-18, 21-14 (0:46)
Match 20: Nick Lucena / Sean Scott (7) def. Matt Fuerbringer / Casey Jennings (2) 18-21, 21-13, 15-9 (1:04)

Round 4
Match 21: Phil Dalhausser / Todd Rogers (1) def. Jake Gibb / Sean Rosenthal (4) 23-21, 15-21, 15-9 (1:15)     
Match 22: John Hyden / Brad Keenan (3) def. Nick Lucena / Sean Scott (7) 28-30, 21-13, 25-23 (1:31)     

Contender's Bracket

Round 1
Match 23: Adam Jewell / Jeff Nygaard (16) def. Paul Baxter / Canyon Ceman (18) 21-17, 21-15 (0:43)     
Match 24: Braidy Halverson / Jason Lee (24, Q3) def. Ryan Mariano / Ed Ratledge (10) 21-18, 24-22 (0:53)     
Match 25: Stein Metzger / Mark Williams (6) def. Mike Morrison / Ty Tramblie (21, Q1) 21-12, 21-15 (0:41)     
Match 26: Pedro Brazao / Jose Loiola (13) def. Jeff Carlucci / John Mayer (14) 23-21, 22-20 (0:53)     
Match 27: Brent Doble / Dane Jensen (19) def. Albert Hannemann / Austin Rester (20) 21-18, 23-25, 15-10 (1:03)     
Match 28: Anthony Medel / Fred Souza (5) def. Scott Ayakatubby / Larry Witt (22, Q2) 21-15, 21-19 (0:44)     
Match 29: Ty Loomis / Hans Stolfus (9) def. Billy Allen / AJ Mihalic (23, Q5) 24-22, 21-16 (0:50)     
Match 30: Russ Marchewka / Mike Placek (15) def. Dain Blanton / Eric Fonoimoana (17) 21-17, 21-18 (0:53)     

Round 2
Match 31: Braidy Halverson / Jason Lee (24, Q3) def. Adam Jewell / Jeff Nygaard (16) 21-19, 24-22 (0:56)     
Match 32: Stein Metzger / Mark Williams (6) def. Pedro Brazao / Jose Loiola (13) 21-16, 21-16 (0:41)     
Match 33: Anthony Medel / Fred Souza (5) def. Brent Doble / Dane Jensen (19) 21-7, 16-21, 15-11 (1:03)     
Match 34: Ty Loomis / Hans Stolfus (9) def. Russ Marchewka / Mike Placek (15) 25-23, 21-17 (1:03)     

Round 3
Match 35: Matt Olson / Kevin Wong (12) def. Braidy Halverson / Jason Lee (24, Q3) 21-15, 21-16 (0:43)     
Match 36: Stein Metzger / Mark Williams (6) def. Jason Ring / Aaron Wachtfogel (8) 21-12, 21-18 (0:47)     
Match 37: Matt Fuerbringer / Casey Jennings (2) def. Anthony Medel / Fred Souza (5) 15-21, 25-23, 15-10 (1:03)     
Match 38: Ty Loomis / Hans Stolfus (9) def. Dax Holdren / Will Strickland (11) 22-20, 21-15 (0:51)     

Round 4
Match 39: Stein Metzger / Mark Williams (6) def. Matt Olson / Kevin Wong (12) 21-16, 21-19 (0:55)     
Match 40: Matt Fuerbringer / Casey Jennings (2) def. Ty Loomis / Hans Stolfus (9) 21-17, 21-18 (0:55)     

Round 5
Match 41: Stein Metzger / Mark Williams (6) def. Nick Lucena / Sean Scott (7) 25-23, 24-22 (0:58)     
Match 42: Matt Fuerbringer / Casey Jennings (2) def. Jake Gibb / Sean Rosenthal (4) 21-16, 21-19 (0:47)     

Semifinals
Match 43: Phil Dalhausser / Todd Rogers (1) def. Stein Metzger / Mark Williams (6) 21-16, 21-17 (0:48)     
Match 44: John Hyden / Brad Keenan (3) def. Matt Fuerbringer / Casey Jennings (2) 23-21, 14-21, 15-12 (1:05)     

Finals
Match 45: Phil Dalhausser / Todd Rogers (1) def. John Hyden / Brad Keenan (3) 21-14, 22-20 (0:46)    

2008 Huntington Beach Cuervo Gold Crown Tournament Champions >>Phil Dalhauser/Todd Rogers

 

2008 AVP $25,000 Cuervo Gold Crown Championships Team >>Jake Gibb/Sean Rosenthal
  
        Jake Gibb                                                    Sean Rosenthal

2008 AVP $25,000 Cuervo Gold Crown Championships Team >>Nicole Branagh/Elaine Youngs
 
                  Nicole Branagh                                                                          Elaine Youngs